Scientists from New York University have discovered that ancient Egyptians carved the Great Sphinx from a rock whose original shape was given by winds and sands. The research was published in the journal Physical Examination Fluids.
Geologist Farouk El-Baz suggested in a 1981 article in Smithsonian Magazine that, unlike the pyramids, the Great Sphinx was not built entirely by ancient Egyptians. Instead, the scientist believed that ancient masons merely gave the shape of a mythical creature to a huge rock that already looked like a sphinx.
In a new study, scientists from New York University simulated the conditions that existed when the Sphinx was created 4,500 years ago. The study focused on reproducing yardangs, unusual rock formations formed by windblown dust and sand in deserts. It is likely that the ancient Egyptians encountered a large yardang resembling a reclining animal, which inspired them to create the Sphinx statue.
For modeling, scientists took soft clay into which a harder and less weather-resistant material was placed. They then washed these formations with a rapid flow of water to simulate wind. They encountered a formation similar to the Great Sphinx.
“Our laboratory experiments have shown that remarkably Sphinx-like shapes can emerge from materials eroded by rapid flows. There are indeed yardangs today that resemble sitting or lying animals, confirming our findings,” explained senior study author Leif Ristroph.
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