Over four decades ago, Farouk El-Baz, a renowned space scientist and geologist, proposed that the iconic Great Sphinx of Giza might have been partially shaped by natural forces, particularly the wind, before ancient Egyptians carved it into the detailed monument we know today. A new study from NYU’s Applied Mathematics Laboratory has provided experimental evidence that supports this intriguing possibility.
The researchers conducted experiments to replicate the natural erosion processes that could have occurred around 4,500 years ago. They created clay models, known as yardangs, which are landforms shaped by wind erosion in desert environments. By subjecting these models to a fast stream of water, simulating the wind’s erosive power, they observed the formation of shapes remarkably similar to the Sphinx.
The study, which is set to be published in the journal Physical Review Fluids, suggests that the Great Sphinx could have originated from a yardang that was naturally sculpted into a lion-like form by the wind. This natural process could have provided a base that was later refined by human hands into the monument’s final shape.
The original idea that a yardang could have been the precursor to the Sphinx’s form was first discussed in a 1981 article by El-Baz. However, despite the new findings, El-Baz himself remains skeptical, and Egyptologists like Salima Ikram from the American University in Cairo also cast doubt on the yardang theory, pointing to the extensive evidence of human craftsmanship in the Sphinx’s construction.
The NYU study does not claim to solve the mystery of the Sphinx’s origins definitively but offers a plausible scenario in which natural erosion could have contributed to its formation. The researchers acknowledge that while nature might have carved significant portions of the structure, the extent of natural versus human sculpting remains a topic for further investigation.