Shesep Ankh

       It has been theorized that the pyramids of Giza are alined with the stars in Orion’s Belt, but along with this theory is that the Sphinx is alined with the constellation Leo. It is amazing how much we know about the pyramids, but not many people know about the Sphinx. I am sure that the figure of it is worldly known but not many know why or how it was built. In the following blog I was requested I cover the why, how, and recovery of shepep ankh ('living image'), the Sphinx.
       Now the Sphinx is what we would call a zoomorphic figure, despite of its human head. Unlike the pyramids, in which stones had to be carried and placed, the Sphinx was carved from the limestone bedrock. If you would look at the image below, you can see the same striations that are on the chest of the Sphinx are the same as on the surrounding walls. Even though this is obvious once you know where to look, we have no idea how long it took to carve it. With several thousands of years of how we used to do things lost, I am afraid that our new way of doing things along with our new technology we are ignorantly blinded by all that is new to understand more of the old.

       Something else that we thought we knew was recently shot down. What we thought we knew is that the Sphinx was built by Khafre, which is not true. The reason for this is because in the 19th century on the Giza plateau an 'Inventory Stele' that was found reads that the Pharaoh Khufu, who ruled before Khafre, ordered that a temple be built next to the Sphinx. All this can tell us is the Sphinx is probably the work of Pre-dynastic times. So far we pretty much have an idea of how it was carved, but still having no idea how long or who is was that built it.
       Good news though, we have several theories of why it was built. As I said in the beginning of this blog I talked about the alignment of stars. I believe that since Khufu and his successors are buried in the Giza pyramids this is the reason it was “known” it was on of them who carved the Sphinx. Not only that but the sophistication of the alignment. Many do not think that the ancient Egyptians were bothered with astrology and the pyramids are only coincidentally in line with Orion's Belt, but perhaps at they would look to the stars they saw a familiar shape. The constellation Leo's shape has an uncanny resemblance to that of the Sphinx (see comparison below). This ties in with the following theory of why. Some believe that it was built was a sort of “astronomical observation device that marked the position of the rising sun on the day of the spring equinox in the time of Leo the Lion, which lasted from 10,970 to 8810 BCE. This interpretation is given support by the leonine shape of the Sphinx.” Another assumption made by orthodox archaeologists is it is mearly a memorial or “some sort of talisman or guardian deity.” 

       At the beginning of this blog I said I was requested to cover not only the how it was carved or why it was built but also the recovery of it. You must be thinking, why would a huge statue like the Sphinx need to be recovered? Well, let us say about a thousand years or so had passed before the first attempt to recover it, the winds and sand had buried the Sphinx up to its neck. We know this because Tuthmosis IV made a tablet recounting a dream the Sphinx had given him to free it from the sand is still between the paws. The paws is all Tuthmosis was able to free. There were more excavations after that, but in the reign of Rameses II, the sands once again buried it. As time passed there was some restoration done by Marcus Aurelius which is still visible today, but, as luck would have it, it was buried again. It was not til 1925 when the entirety of it was cleared. But due to several factors such as pollution and increased humidity in the 1980's it underway a restoration; which was a disaster that had to do with using wrong materials to attempt the restoration. With entirely new materials and methods, the restoration is still under way.
       After writing this blog, I am at war within myself. What I mean by this is I want us to find out the answers to all the questions we have, but at the same time, I do not. The hunt, the intrigue is something that keeps us going. If we do find out the answers instead of asking how, we will most likely be asking what next?
      Please feel free to comment on what you thought of the blog, or other physical anthropological subjects you would like me to cover.