|
Article:
Conspiracies: The Pyramid and the Sphinx by: Steven N. Ng Egypt has long been the source of countless conspiracies, ranging from ancient lost civilizations to extraterrestrial markers. The reason for this focus is likely because Egypt is the most romanticized ancient civilization, and also because it is home to the mystical Great Pyramid of Giza, the only surviving Wonder of the Ancient World. This article will describe some of the conspiracies surrounding the Sphinx and the Pyramid. The Riddle of the Sphinx Most of the conspiracy theories revolving around the Sphinx usually involve its age. The Sphinx is generally accepted to have been built along with the Pyramids of Giza around 2500 BC. It is even accepted that the face of the Sphinx bears the likeness of Khafre (Chephren), the Pharaoh during that time. However, there was no written record from that era regarding the Sphinx or its construction. In addition, the human head of the Sphinx is small in relation to the rest of the body, indicating that the head bearing Pharaoh Khafre's likeness could have been carved out of a larger lion's head. These points led some researchers to believe that the Sphinx could have been built much earlier by a more ancient civilization, thus starting a whole host of conspiracy theories. Geologist Dr. Robert Schoch and author John Anthony West made a case that the erosion marks on the Sphinx appears not to be made by wind or sand, but by water, such as falling rain. They used evidence of other structures in the Giza area to prove their point. If this were true, the construction of the Sphinx could then be dated back to at least 5000 BC, when the area still received substantial rainfall, in contrast to desert conditions later on. In his official website, Director of the Giza Monuments Dr. Zahi Hawass provides various points suggesting that the evidence used in proving Dr. Schoch's theory is flawed. Adding to the conspiracies surrounding the age of the Sphinx, writers Graham Hancock and Robert Buvaul provide evidence in their book Message of the Sphinx that the creation of the Sphinx and Pyramids can be pushed back as far as '10
|
