Great Sphinx of Giza

A theory that the Great Sphinx of Giza may have been a lion-shaped natural landform that the ancient Egyptians modified to form the stone-faced feline has been investigated, Arkeonews has reported.

Archaeologists in Egypt have unearthed a sphinx statue "with a smiley face and two dimples" near the Hathor Temple, one of the country's best preserved ancient sites, the tourism and antiquities ministry announced on March 6.

It is the latest in a series of discoveries revealed over the past few months.

How old is the Sphinx?

A pair of carved Egyptian sphinx statues have sold at U.K. auctioneers for $265,000, around 500 times the guide price.

The meter-long stone statues were found in a garden near Clare, in south Suffolk and valued at between $400-680 at Mander Auctioneers in Sudbury.

AP

CAIRO: Egypt says archaeologists have discovered a statue of a lion's body and a human head in the southern city of Aswan.

The Antiquities Ministry says Sunday the sphinx made of sandstone was found in the Temple of Kom Ombo during work to protect the site from groundwater.

Egypt will soon open to tourists the courtyard in front of the Sphinx, the colossal monument which has been under restoration for nearly four years, officials said on Nov. 10.
      
Carved from a single ridge of stone, the Sphinx is one of the most visited monuments in the world, and has been regularly restored following from air pollution and underground water damage.