The Sphinx water erosion hypothesis is a fringe claim, contending that the Great Sphinx of Giza and its enclosing walls show erosion consistent with precipitation. Its proponents believe this dates the construction of the Sphinx to Predynastic Egypt or earlier. The hypothesis is inspired by the myth of Atlantis and it contradicts the mainstream view that the Sphinx was constructed contemporaneously with the Giza pyramid complex. Major proponents of the hypothesis include alternative Egyptologist John Anthony West, and geologist Robert Schoch.
Most archeologists and egyptologists have rejected the idea of an earlier construction of the Sphinx, instead attributing it to pharaoh Khafre.[1] Those critical of the hypothesis draw attention to problems with Schoch and West’s methodology[2], point out that the Sphinx enclosure fits into the overall layout of the Giza complex[3], and cite geological evidence that limestone from the Sphinx enclosure was used in the construction of nearby buildings.[4] The hypothesis has also faced scrutiny from geologists who attribute the erosion to Nile flooding and occasional heavy rains that persisted into the Dynastic period.[5]
