In Schoch’s analysis of the Sphinx and its enclosure, he found multiple types of weathering from water, wind, flaking and disintegration. He believed the rounded edges that appear on the Sphinx and the enclosure are a “classic textbook example of what happens to limestone wall when you have rain beating down on it for thousands of years”. This type of erosion would require a lot of rain, and given the present climate of Egypt, it would have to have happened before the drying up of the Sahara between 6000-5000BC. Schoch says this amount of rain happened in the Nabtian Pluvial or the Neolithic wet phase a period between 7000-5000BC. This was a time of erratic floods thus the Sphinx must have been carved prior, giving the rock thousands of years to be eroded. One thing geologists do not know is the rate that rock erodes due to various types of weathering factors that can accelerate the process.
In 1991 Schoch and seismologist Dr. Thomas L. Dobecki preformed low-level seismic surveys around the Sphinx. A seismic survey is a geological subterranean investigation based on the waves received back from a medium such as soil or rock. The interpretation of the depths depends on the distance between points and the depth of the strata. The data received from the seismic survey showed the subsurface weathering of the Sphinx was not uniform, showing less weathering at the rump (western end) of the monument. Schoch explains this uniformity and says the rump was carved later and the statue was only meant to be seen from the front and side views.
As for the two-stage construction, Schoch says the Sphinx temple and possibly the valley temple have a core layer of deeply weathered limestone covered by granite and ashlar. He believes the cor...
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Shaw, Ian. Exploring ancient Egypt. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2003.
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Temple, Robert K. G., and Olivia Temple. The Sphinx Mystery: The Forgotten Origins of the Sanctuary of Anubis. Rochester, Vt.: Inner Traditions, 2009.
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Johnson, Paul The Civilization of Ancient Egypt (New York: Harper Collins Publishers 1978,1998 and 1999)
My selected artifact is relief dating to Dynasty 18 in which Akhenaten is depicted as a sphinx, offering to the god Aten. Akhenaten wears the ureaus headdress, marking him as king of Egypt while two cartouches contain his official name. In addition to his cartouche, the relief contains the cartouches of Aten and Nefertiti, delineating the trinity of divinities that compose Akhenaten’s religion. Aten is depicted traditionally, as a sun disk, with his hands holding ankh symbols reaching towards offering tables in front of Akhenaten where the king holds a basket containing Aten’s titles inside. The inscription on the relief reads “great, living Aten”… “dwelling in the Sunshade temple” which is a different structure than the Aten Great Temple in
Scott, N. The Daily Life of the Ancient Egyptians. The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New Series, Vol. 31, No. 3, The Daily Life of the Ancient Egyptians (Spring, 1973), pp. 123-170
One of the most mysterious structures found in today’s world is the Great Sphinx of Egypt, located on the outskirts of the hustling city of Giza. Many archeologists and explorers spend their entire careers trying to answer many unknowns about the Sphinx such as, “Who built the Sphinx,” and “Why does it exist?” Although these questions do not have clear answers, there are many theories that try to crack the mysteries of the Great Sphinx.
The word sphinx in the English language means has a minimum of a human head and a lion body. The sphinx stands on the Giza Plateau. It’s Believed to represent the face of Pharaoh Khafra. The Great Sphinx is the world's best known sphinx. It’s the largest monolith (a monument made up of a single block of stone including a pillars and monuments) statue. It was built by the ancient Egyptians of the Old Kingdom during the reign of Pharaoh Khafra. The Great Sphinx was carved down into the bedrock in the plateau which also served as the quarry for the other monuments in the area. The Great Sphinx was made to guard the tombs and other monuments. After the sphinx was built over the time of 1000 years the body was covered by sand and only the head could
W. Raymond Johnson, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, (1996), pp. 65-82, Date viewed 19th may, http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/3822115.pdf?&acceptTC=true&jpdConfirm=true
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This book talks about the experiential aspects of the Pyramids Of Giza, discussing how the size of the buildings, as well as the spaces and materials used, make the pyramids feel very grand, reflecting the pharaoh’s power. (Fazio 2013) suggests that the pyramids were built to such grand proportions to emphasis the power of the pharaoh in society as well as his god like status.
Wilkinson, Toby A. H.. The rise and fall of ancient Egypt. New York: Random House, 2010. Print.
Maspero, Gaston. Manual Of Egyptian Archaeology And Guide To The Study Of Antiquities In Egypt. 1895. Print.
When one travels to Egypt, what does he/she see - pyramid after temple after tomb, each standing the test of time. One stands out - they are all associated with religious beliefs, they all have stood unmoving for thousands of years, and they all involve mechanical genius- the moving of colossal stones without the use of the wheel. The finest example such mechanics is shown in the construction of the revered pyramid. These three factors, all belonging to the religious architecture of ancient Egypt, do nothing else but prove its greatness.
Sphinx is widely known that it has face of “a man”, body of “a lion”, wing of “an eagle” and tail of “an ox”.
The Great pyramids of Egypt are undoubtedly one of the most recognized and admired landmarks in the world. Built to pay tribute to gods and pharaohs, the pyramids were of great importance to the Egyptians, and the mystery of their construction continues to amaze us today. Many theories pertaining to how the pyramids were built have been suggested, however, none are as well supported or intelligible as the heave-ho method of quarrying and cutting limestone. Joseph Davidovits’ theory disproving this, in which states the pyramids were moulded, is not plausible. Substantial physical evidence which is consistent with the Egyptologists’ portrayal of the heave-ho method has been found. The entire process of building a pyramid with this method is possible, as demonstrated by thorough experiments and analysis of the Egyptian culture. Indisputably, the Great Pyramids of Giza were constructed by quarrying limestone, and the use of ramps, sleds, and cutting tools, owing to the ingenuity and strength of highly organized Egyptian workers.