With the face of a lady and the physique of a lion, the Great Sphinx of Giza has enthralled and mystified archaeologists for hundreds of years.
What did it initially appear to be? Who was it designed to characterize? These are among the many common questions historians have wrestled with.
But there may be one other controversial thriller – did Mother Nature play a job in its creation? Did elemental forces erode the rock formation into one thing resembling the legendary creature earlier than the Egyptians got here alongside?
That’s what a group of scientists from New York University have been making an attempt to determine.
“Our findings offer a possible ‘origin story’ for how Sphinx-like formations can come about from erosion,” explains Leif Ristroph, an affiliate professor at NYU.
“Our laboratory experiments showed that surprisingly Sphinx-like shapes can, in fact, come from materials being eroded by fast flows.”
The examine centred on replicating uncommon rock formations present in deserts from wind-blown mud and sand – often known as yardangs.
Mr Ristroph’s group explored the likelihood that the Great Sphinx was initially certainly one of these yardangs that was then subsequently detailed by people.
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To do that they took mounds of sentimental clay with more durable, much less erodible materials embedded inside – mimicking the terrain in northeastern Egypt, the place the Great Sphinx sits.
They then washed these formations with a fast-flowing stream of water to duplicate wind that carved and reshaped them, finally reaching a Sphinx-like formation.
The more durable or extra resistant materials grew to become the “head” of the lion and plenty of different options reminiscent of an undercut “neck,” “paws” specified by entrance on the bottom, and arched “back” developed.
“Our results provide a simple origin theory for how Sphinx-like formations can come about from erosion,” noticed Mr Ristroph.
“There are, in fact, yardangs in existence today that look like seated or lying animals, lending support to our conclusions.”
Source: information.sky.com”