A new theory about the origin of the Egyptian Sphinxes: “It is not just the work of human hands.” outside

Sphinxes are terrifying creatures whose origins go back to ancient Egyptian and Greek mythology. They can be recognized by their human head, lion’s body, and sometimes eagle’s wings. Perhaps the most famous of all is the “Sphinx of Giza,” which is about 4,500 years old, 20 meters high, and no less than 73 meters long.

Until recently, it was widely believed that these monuments were made entirely by human hands. doctor. Ristrov and his team put forward another hypothesis: “What if the shape of the Sphinx is partly due to natural erosion?”

“It seems that sphinx-like shapes can, surprisingly, be formed by materials eroded by fast currents,” said the study co-author. Lev Ristrov. To verify this theory, scientists in their laboratory tried to re-simulate the weather conditions in Egypt about 4,500 years ago.

They did this by investigating the action of the wind and how it transformed the surrounding rocks into fantastic formations known as yardang. Yardangs are natural structures created by erosion that often bear striking resemblances to sitting or reclining animals.

In their experiment, the scientists used pieces of soft clay containing harder materials to create a landscape similar to northeastern Egypt. They then sent a rapid stream of water through a tunnel with clay inside, to mimic strong winds that would have affected the shape of the Sphinx through ancient erosion.

To their surprise, they eventually came up with a shape very similar to that of the Sphinx. The most solid material in the mass became the ‘head’ of the sphinx, while other features such as the ‘neck’, ‘legs’ and ‘back’ became visible.

Scientists suspect that the ancient Egyptians may have noticed a similar shaped yardang. These observations may have inspired them to transform these rock formations into the mythical creatures we know today as sphinxes.

Watch also. A paraglider flies over the pyramids and the Sphinx in Egypt in 2022.