The Great Sphinx is one of the most iconic images associated with Egypt.
Therefore, it is not surprising that the claims of Italian researchers that they have potentially identified the presence of a second one underneath the Giza pyramid complex are creating a stir.
Radar engineer Filippo Biondi dropped this alleged historical bombshell during a recent episode of the “Matt Beall Limitless” podcast, the Daily Mail reported.He said, “There is something very huge that we are measuring” beneath the Giza Plateau, which features the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the Pyramid of Khafre, the Pyramid of Menkaure and the Great Sphinx.He and his team said they were tipped off to the alleged underground guardian by explaining that lines between the pyramids to the known Sphinx also point to a parallel mound under which the second feline facsimile supposedly resides — like a cryptic puzzle from an “Indiana Jones” movie.Satellite images of the Giza Plateau have reportedly captured this dune, which the signal processing researcher claims measures approximately 108 feet tall.“The first Sphinx sits slightly below the surrounding surface, in a shallow depression, so it is possible the second Sphinx could be hidden beneath this higher mound,” he said.
One of the supporting pieces of evidence that the Italian team notes is that the “Dream Stelae” between the paws of the Great Sphinx shows two animals.
The Dream Stela, produced by pharaoh Thutmose IV around 1401 BC, says that when he was a young prince, Thutmose rested in the shade of the Great Sphinx and fell asleep, and the Sphinx appeared to him in a dream.
In the dream, the god complained that drifting desert sand was burying his body and asked the prince to clear it away. The Sphinx then promised Thutmose that, if he did this, he would become king and rule all Egypt, with long life, prosperity, and dominion over the “Two Lands.”
After he became pharaoh, Thutmose IV set up the stela between the Sphinx’s paws to record this divine promise and to present his kingship as granted and legitimized directly by the god.
However, it must be noted that the announcement has been met with skepticism.
Zahi Hawass, Egypt’s former minister of antiquities, dismissed similar assertions, stating that the area around the pyramids and the Sphinx has been extensively studied and excavated over decades without uncovering anything resembling a second monument. He has described the underground megastructure claims as “fabrications” lacking scientific foundation.”The rumors suggesting the presence of columns beneath the Pyramid of Khafre are nothing but fabrications propagated by individuals with no expertise in ancient Egyptian civilization or the history of the pyramids,” Hawass said.Experts also caution that the radar and satellite techniques cited by the researchers cannot reliably detect detailed structures at the depths claimed. Ground‑penetrating radar and related methods typically resolve features only a few meters below the surface, not massive carved monuments buried tens or hundreds of feet underground in dense limestone.
The Great Sphinx and Giza pyramid complex were built during Egypt’s Old Kingdom. A less dramatic, but authentic Old Kingdom discovery was recently announced: A cluster of Old Kingdom rock‑cut tombs was found at Qubbet el‑Hawa in Aswan, southern Egypt.
Inside the tombs, archaeologists found pottery vessels, jewelry, and amulets, with about 160 pottery vessels in just two of the burial chambers. Many of these pots are well preserved and inscribed with hieratic text, and early analysis suggests they were used to store liquids and grains, which could offer new data on the Old Kingdom economy and funerary practice.
An Egyptian archaeological mission from the Supreme Council of Antiquities uncovered the tombs in the Qubbat El Hawa area during the current excavation season, the ministry said in a statement.The tombs date back to the Old Kingdom (2686 to 2181 BCE) and contain burial shafts and chambers. Archaeologists found pottery vessels, jewellery and amulets inside….In the statement, Mohamed Abdel Badie, head of the Egyptian Antiquities sector, said two of the burial chambers contained about 160 pottery vessels of different sizes and shapes. Most of them are well preserved and inscribed with hieratic text. Preliminary studies suggest they were used to store liquids and grains.The mission also found a collection of bronze mirrors, alabaster kohl containers, beaded necklaces and amulets from the Middle Kingdom in the tombs’ outer courtyard. Excavations are continuing, the ministry said.
Whether or not radar waves have truly uncovered a second sphinx, the renewed fascination with Giza proves that Egypt’s ancient wonders still have the power to capture our imagination. However, it is worth appreciating the efforts of more traditional archaeological practices.
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