Sphinx Of Giza Research Paper
The Great Sphinx of Giza is one of the world’s most iconic monuments. It was carved from a massive block of limestone, making it the biggest single stone statue in existence. The measurements of the sculpture are 60 feet in height, or as tall as a six-story building, and 240 feet in length. It is often described to have the body of a lion, and a head of a Pharaoh, which can be seen through the iconographic elements like the headdress and a seemingly symmetric face. With such a large and iconic figure, it is ironic that there is so little known about it. There are no texts, hieroglyphics, or maker’s mark that can be used to date the Sphinx, and because of this, it is regarded as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Many archeologists have
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He claimed that this could mean that the Sphinx was carved to be the “guardian of the pyramids”, or that the Sphinx itself was also under protection. Along with the discovery of the wall, a royal seal, or cartouche, was found in front of the Sphinx, between its paws, with Pharaoh Thutmose IV’s name on it. The stela that it was found on described a line of events on how Pharaoh Thutmose IV and the Sphinx were related. At the top of the stela, there were two images of Pharaoh Thutmose IV, on one side, it showed him incensing to the Sphinx, and on the other it depicted him giving water offerings to it. The rest of the hieroglyphics on the stela described in detail how Pharaoh Thutmose IV, before becoming King, encountered the Sphinx as a young man, covered neck-deep in the desert sand. He fell asleep near it and dreamt that the Sphinx spoke to him, telling him that if he was to clear the sand from the Sphinx’s body, it would make him king. Upon waking up, he set out to carry the mission he was given in his dream, which resulted in the Sphinx keeping his promise. The stela that describes this series of events is now known as the dream stela. This finding debunks the theory that Pharaoh Thutmose IV could have been the Pharaoh who built the Sphinx during his reign in the 18th dynasty, 1400 BC, as it was already existent when he came across it. He was, …show more content…
He also coordinated the building of two temples found nearby, which could mean that he was behind the building all four great monuments. This theory seemed to have been debunked when the King Khafre’s causeway was found. Causeways traditionally lead east from the pyramid, but Khafre’s led Southeast, in an odd pathway that seemed to be avoiding something, assumed to be the Sphinx, which would have been in the way of the causeway had it led East. Others argue that it was the doing of King Khufu, King Khafre’s father, since he coordinated the building of the world’s largest monument for a prolonged period of time, his pyramid. He was also a feared dictator, so he was known for going to all lengths to ensure his buildings were built to his liking. From a Southern point of view, the point of view of people coming from Memphis, the Sphinx looks like a two-dimensional hieroglyphic protecting Khufu’s pyramid, and because two-dimensional drawing and architecture was a large part of Ancient Egyptian art, many archeologists concluded that it was solid evidence that King Khufu was the mastermind behind the Sphinx. The only confirmed likeness of Khufu, found in the Cairo museum, shows that there are similarities between the facial features of
He claimed that this could mean that the Sphinx was carved to be the “guardian of the pyramids”, or that the Sphinx itself was also under protection. Along with the discovery of the wall, a royal seal, or cartouche, was found in front of the Sphinx, between its paws, with Pharaoh Thutmose IV’s name on it. The stela that it was found on described a line of events on how Pharaoh Thutmose IV and the Sphinx were related. At the top of the stela, there were two images of Pharaoh Thutmose IV, on one side, it showed him incensing to the Sphinx, and on the other it depicted him giving water offerings to it. The rest of the hieroglyphics on the stela described in detail how Pharaoh Thutmose IV, before becoming King, encountered the Sphinx as a young man, covered neck-deep in the desert sand. He fell asleep near it and dreamt that the Sphinx spoke to him, telling him that if he was to clear the sand from the Sphinx’s body, it would make him king. Upon waking up, he set out to carry the mission he was given in his dream, which resulted in the Sphinx keeping his promise. The stela that describes this series of events is now known as the dream stela. This finding debunks the theory that Pharaoh Thutmose IV could have been the Pharaoh who built the Sphinx during his reign in the 18th dynasty, 1400 BC, as it was already existent when he came across it. He was, …show more content…
He also coordinated the building of two temples found nearby, which could mean that he was behind the building all four great monuments. This theory seemed to have been debunked when the King Khafre’s causeway was found. Causeways traditionally lead east from the pyramid, but Khafre’s led Southeast, in an odd pathway that seemed to be avoiding something, assumed to be the Sphinx, which would have been in the way of the causeway had it led East. Others argue that it was the doing of King Khufu, King Khafre’s father, since he coordinated the building of the world’s largest monument for a prolonged period of time, his pyramid. He was also a feared dictator, so he was known for going to all lengths to ensure his buildings were built to his liking. From a Southern point of view, the point of view of people coming from Memphis, the Sphinx looks like a two-dimensional hieroglyphic protecting Khufu’s pyramid, and because two-dimensional drawing and architecture was a large part of Ancient Egyptian art, many archeologists concluded that it was solid evidence that King Khufu was the mastermind behind the Sphinx. The only confirmed likeness of Khufu, found in the Cairo museum, shows that there are similarities between the facial features of