RECOMMENDED LESSONS: Runoff Runoff is precipitation that did not get (infiltrated) absorbed into the soil, or did not evaporate, and therefore made its way from the ground surface into places that water collect. Runoff causes erosion, and also carry chemicals and substances on the ground surface along to the rivers where the water ends up.
Noun. 1. obelisk-a stone pillar having a rectangular cross section tapering towards a pyramidal top. pillar, column-a vertical cylindrical structure standing alone and not supporting anything (such as a monument).
The pharaohs ordered these huge monuments built for them so that they would always be remembered. The writings on the obelisks tell us a great deal about the ancient Egyptian civilization. Most obelisks were commissioned by pharaohs, but anyone could build one if they had the money. The ancient Egyptians are not the only civilization to build an obelisk. In relatively modern times, around the middle of the 1800's, about the same time in American history as the Gold Rush, the government of the United States began building an obelisk in Washington DC, to honor our first president, George Washington.