Question about the real age of the Sphinx

I was reading a geology paper about water erosion patterns on the Giza Plateau. It mentioned that the Sphinx enclosure shows clear signs of heavy rainfall erosion, which would mean it's way older than the 4,500 years most Egyptologists say. The paper argued that kind of weather last happened in Egypt over 7,000 years ago. But mainstream archaeology sticks to the timeline linking it to Pharaoh Khafre. So which is it? Is the Sphinx a lot older, or is the geology being misinterpreted? Has anyone else dug into this debate?

2 comments

2 Comments

black.joel12d ago

That specific water erosion theory comes from a geologist named Robert Schoch. The problem is he's not an archaeologist. His whole case rests on ignoring the clear evidence of repair work done with ancient limestone blocks, which can look like natural layers. The heavy rainfall could have happened during the early dynastic period when the climate was still shifting. Mainstream science sticks with Khafre because the Sphinx temple links directly to his pyramid complex, and the style of the carving matches his era perfectly. It's a classic case of someone outside the field seeing a pattern and ignoring all the other facts that explain it.

hannah42212d ago

Schoch's geology degree is from Yale, black.joel. His whole point is that the erosion pattern is from rainwater runoff, not wind and sand. That means it had to be carved when the Sahara was much wetter, way before Khafre. The repair blocks are from later dynasties fixing an already ancient monument. The temple alignment could be a rebuild on a much older site. Mainstream archaeology dismisses him but hasn't really explained the vertical weathering channels.