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<\/p>\nSCIENTISTS have claimed they finally know how the legendary Great Sphinx was actually made.<\/p>\n
The 4,500-year-old ancient sculpture was always thought to be carved by the Egyptians but the fascinating mystery might\u2019ve finally been solved. <\/p>\n
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A new theory around Giza\u2019s iconic sphinx suggests that the dusty desert winds are the prime suspect in how the overall shape was formed.<\/p>\n
A study done by New York University tested the wind theory \u2013 that\u2019s been around since 1981 – by creating tiny, lion-like sculptures from clay using the method they believe could\u2019ve been done on a much grander scale.<\/p>\n
The researchers took lumps of soft clay and mixed it with harder, less erodible material to replicate the Egyptian desert all those years ago.<\/p>\n
The replica formations were then covered in a fast-flowing stream of water to act as the wind and created the impressive lion sculptures.<\/p>\n
This led them to strongly believe that it\u2019s absolutely possible that the natural shape of the rock might\u2019ve inspired the Egyptians to create the Great Sphinx.<\/p>\n Lead author of the study Professor Leif Ristroph said: \u201cOur findings offer a possible 'origin story' for how Sphinx-like formations can come about from erosion.<\/p>\n \u201cOur laboratory experiments showed that surprisingly Sphinx-like shapes can, in fact, come from materials being eroded by fast flows.\u201d<\/p>\n The harder or more resistant material became the head as the softer clay developed quicker into the neck, paws and back.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n The university study group used examples from today of other similar sculptures formed by erosion to support their findings.<\/p>\n The shocking theory was first put forward by geologist\u00a0Farouk El-Baz over four decades ago, as he thought the sphinx was originally a giant rock that got eroded overtime and then was shaped how we see it today.<\/p>\n El-Baz, a former NASA scientist, held on to his suspicions since the 80s and said back in 2011 that the exact shape was a very clever plan.<\/p>\n A statement by the geologist said: \u201cToday, the pyramids of Giza exist in perfect harmony with their windy environment.<\/p>\n \u201cHad the ancients built their monuments in the shape of a cube, a rectangle, or even a stadium, they would have been erased by the ravages of wind erosion long ago.\u201d<\/p>\n Historians do still agree however that the actual detailing like on the face and feet of the sculpture was still carved by hand probably by experienced stonemasons.<\/p>\n Another great mystery is what the sphinx actually is.<\/p>\n Researchers have long been scratching their heads over if it\u2019s a person, animal or a mixture of both.<\/p>\n El-Baz shared his thoughts, saying: \u201cThe ancient engineers may have elected to reshape its head in the image of their king.<\/p>\n \u201cThey also gave it a convincingly lion-like body, inspired by forms they encountered in the desert. To do so, they had to dig a moat around the natural protrusion.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The Great Sphinx is thought by most people to represent King Khafra with a lion\u2019s body.<\/p>\n Others believe that Djadefre, the brother of Khafra, built the sphinx in honour of their father, Khufu.<\/p>\n If this was true then the Great Sphinx would\u2019ve been built somewhere between 2550 BC and 2450 BC.<\/p>\n Although it was only found 1817, after an excavation team uncovered the mammoth beast's chest.<\/p>\n It took another whopping 70 years for the whole thing to be completely visible.\u00a0<\/p>\n Over the last few years rumours of other giant sculptures being found in Egypt have been off the chart.<\/p>\n Last year alone, two massive\u00a0limestone statues of an ancient Egyptian ruler were unearthed.<\/p>\n Pieces of the colossal structure were made for King Amenhotep III and were found in his mortuary temple which people called the \u201cTemple of Millions of Years\u201d.<\/p>\n Egypt\u2019s tourism board have also come under fire by archaeologists for announcing a second sphinx statue had been discovered.<\/p>\n Official Reda Abdel Halim told local media that a statue had been found in the pyramids area in Giza, near Cairo.<\/p>\n The revelation was later called \u201ccompletely untrue\u201d and done to cause a \u201cmedia fanfare\u201d.<\/p>\n Back in October, a lost ancient tomb containing the "Book of the Dead" and 3,400-year-old mummified bodies was uncovered.<\/p>\n The burial site was discovered in the\u00a0Tuna El-Gebel necropolis\u00a0in southern Egypt, and is understood to have included the bodies of a number of high-ranking officials and high priests from Ancient Egypt's New Kingdom, according to\u00a0Egypt Today.<\/p>\n It comes after\u00a0a 4,500-year-old chamber inside one of the famous Great Pyramids was revealed\u00a0earlier this year.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/JB_SEA_SERPENT_COMP-copy.jpg\")
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