The Europeans also brought diseases
such as smallpox and measles. In 1837
smallpox almost wiped out the Hidatsa.
The survivors came together to live in a
single village. By 1862 the Mandan and
the Arikara had joined them.
In 1870 the U.S. government set up the
Fort Berthold Reservation in what is
now North Dakota. The Hidatsa, the
Mandan, and the Arikara lived there
together. In 1934 the tribes became
known as the Three Affiliated Tribes. At
the end of the 20th century there were
about 600 Hidatsa living in the United
States.
#More to explore
Arikara • Gros Ventre • Mandan
• Native Americans
Hieroglyphics
Hieroglyphics is a writing system that
uses pictures and symbols instead of
letters and words. It is most often associated
with the ancient Egyptians. However,
other groups, including the Maya,
used similar writing systems.
Each symbol in hieroglyphic writing is
called a hieroglyph. The word hieroglyph
means “holy carving.” The Egyptians
used hieroglyphs on their temple
walls and public monuments. They
carved them in stone but also painted
them on wood and other smooth surfaces.
Hieroglyphs were used in several ways.
Some represented the objects that they
depict. For example, the word sun
would be represented by a large circle
with a smaller circle in its center. Other
hieroglyphs represented ideas that were
associated with the picture. The sign for
“sun” might serve as the sign for “day.”
Hieroglyphs could also stand for particular
sounds or groups of sounds.
Hieroglyphics developed thousands of
years ago. By 2900 BC, the Egyptians
were using hieroglyphic writing. It
remained in use for more than 3,000
years. During the AD 100s and 200s,
Hieroglyphs often decorated the tombs of
important ancient Egyptians. Queen Nefertari’s
tomb has hieroglyphs and a picture of
her playing chess.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Hieroglyphics 53
many Egyptians became Christians.
Egyptian Christians used the Greek
alphabet. Slowly, people stopped using
hieroglyphics. Eventually, no one could
read hieroglyphic writing anymore.
In 1822 a French scholar rediscovered
the meaning of hieroglyphics. He did it
by studying the Rosetta Stone. Soldiers
had found the stone in 1799. The message
on it was written in both hieroglyphics
and Greek. The scholar could
read Greek, so he could figure out what
the hieroglyphs on the stone meant.
..More to explore
Egypt, Ancient •Writing
Hillary, Edmund
Edmund Hillary was a famous mountain
climber and explorer. He and Tenzing
Norgay of Nepal were the first
people to reach the top of Mount Everest,
the highest mountain on Earth.
They made their climb in 1953. Hillary
later explored Antarctica.
Edmund Percival Hillary was born in
Auckland, New Zealand, on July 20,
1919. He became interested in mountain
climbing while in his teens.
In 1953 Hillary joined a group of climbers
who planned to reach Everest’s peak.
The group left Kathmandu, Nepal, on
March 10, 1953. On May 29, Hillary
and Tenzing reached the peak.
Hillary stayed active after his historic
climb. In 1958 he led the first trip since
1912 to reach the South Pole by land. In
1967 he was among the first people to
climb Antarctica’s Mount Herschel. In
1977 he traveled by boat up the Ganges
River of India.
Hillary wrote many books about his
adventures. He returned to Nepal several
times but never climbed to the top of
Everest again. He helped build schools,
air strips, and health clinics for the
Sherpa people of Nepal. He died on
January 11, 2008, in Auckland.
..More to explore
Everest, Mount • Tenzing Norgay
Himalayas
The highest mountains on Earth are
found in the Himalayas. This great
mountain system of southern Asia
stretches for about 1,550 miles (2,500
Edmund Hillary stands in front of an airplane
that he used to explore Antarctica.
54 Hillary, Edmund BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
kilometers) from west to east. Most of
the Himalayas lie within India, Nepal,
and Bhutan. In the Sanskrit language of
India, the name Himalayas means
“abode of snow.” It refers to the vast,
year-round snowfields on the lofty
peaks.
Geography
No other mountain range on Earth
compares to the Himalayas. Nine of
Earth’s 10 highest peaks are Himalayan;
the other, K2, is in the nearby Karakoram
Range. The peak of Mount Everest,
at 29,035 feet (8,850 meters) above sea
level, is the highest point on Earth. It
lies on the border between Nepal and
Tibet. Nineteen major rivers, including
the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra,
begin in the Himalayas.
People
Few people live in the highest parts of
the Himalayas, where the climate is very
harsh. More people live on the lower
slopes and in the valleys. The people are
a mix of ethnic groups. The Sherpa, who
live to the south of Mount Everest, are
famous as guides for mountain climbers.
Economy
Most of the people of the Himalayas
support themselves by growing crops
and raising animals. Rice, corn, wheat,
millet, and sugarcane are among the
major crops. Fruit orchards in some
valleys produce apples, peaches, pears,
and cherries. The Darjeeling district of
northern India is famous for its tea.
History
Mountain climbers first turned their
