Few ancient civilizations have sparked as much curiosity and wonder as that of the ancient Egyptians. The imposing structures they left behind have been the subject of constant research by historians and archaeologists over the centuries. And although the pyramids are undoubtedly the best known monuments, The Great Sphinx of Giza has also fascinated entire generationspresenting an intriguing enigma as to its mysterious origins.
Now, a new study published in the journal Physical Review Fluids suggests that the Great Sphinx of Giza, with a 4,500 years old and located in front of the pyramid of Khafre, could have been molded into its initial shape by the action of the wind long before the ancient Egyptians sculpted it into their iconic statue.
The researchers came to this conclusion by recreating the weather conditions at the time the Great Sphinx was built and observing how the wind interacted with the rock formations. Their experiment suggests that the basic shape of the monument could have been sculpted by natural erosionleaving only the most refined details for humans to carve later.
“Our findings offer a possible ‘origin story’ for how Sphinx-like formations can arise from erosion,” says researcher Leif Ristroph, lead author of the study and associate professor of Mathematics at New York University, in a release. “Our Laboratory experiments showed that, surprisingly, Sphinx-like shapes can, in fact, come from materials eroded by rapid flows“he added.
Yardangs: unusual rock formations
Specifically, to reach these conclusions, according to the press release, scientists from the Applied Mathematics Laboratory at New York University used mounds of soft clay with more resistant material embedded inside, simulating the terrain in the northeast of Egypt where the Great Sphinx is located. Then, They exposed these formations to a fast water current, imitating the action of the windresulting in a formation similar to that of the Sphinx, with a lion’s “head”, an undercut “neck”, positioned “paws” and an arched “back”.
These detailed observations led scientists to consider the possibility that a yardang, a wind-sculpted rock formation emerging from the ground, could naturally develop into a structure with similarities to a sphinx.
“Our results offer a simple origin theory for how Sphinx-like formations can arise from erosion“Ristroph observes. “In fact, today there are yardangs that look like sitting or lying animals, which supports our conclusions.”
Interesting but inconclusive study
However, despite the interest generated by this study, Egyptologists and other scientists who were not involved in the research have pointed out that, even if this theory were true, The ancient Egyptians would have carried out considerable work to sculpt the iconic structure, including facial features and other fine details.
Furthermore, these experts have clarified that the evidence presented is not conclusive regarding the real existence of a sphinx-shaped yardang in Giza. Kathryn Bard, professor emeritus of archeology and classical studies at Boston University, who has done extensive work in Egypt, told Live Science who, although he has observed yardangs in the Dakhla oasis in Egypt’s western desert, has never seen one that resembles the one produced in the study.
Even if a sphinx-shaped yardang existed in Giza, The ancient Egyptians would have had to add limestone blocks to the natural formation to complete the frontthe paws and legs of the lion, according to Bard.
This study, while fascinating, represents an intriguing possibility about the origins of the Great Sphinx of Giza. Although it does not provide definitive answers, it could serve as a starting point for future research and observations, thus helping to shed light on the enigma surrounding this majestic structure.
“The work may also be useful to geologists, revealing factors that affect rock formations., namely, that they are not homogeneous or uniform in their composition,” said Ristroph. “The unexpected shapes come from how the flows are deflected around the harder or less erodible parts,” he concluded.