Archaeologists discover ancient sphinx in Egypt

[Judi Lynn]

11:03 AM, September 17, 2018 / LAST MODIFIED: 11:09 AM, September 17, 2018



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.

Mostafa Waziri, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities says the statue probably dates back to the Ptolemaic time.

The Ptolemaic Dynasty ruled Egypt for some 300 years — from around 320 B.C. to about 30 B.C.

Egypt hopes such discoveries will spur tourism, partially driven by antiquities sightseeing, which was hit hard by political turmoil following the 2011 uprising.

https://www.thedailystar.net/middle-east/news/archaeologists-discover-ancient-sphinx-egypt-1634953

[Judi Lynn]

1. New Sphinx found in Egyptian Temple

Kelly Wynne 4 hrs ago

A sandstone sphinx was discovered by Egyptian archaeologists who have been draining water from a flooded temple in Aswan, Reuters reported Sunday. The sphinx probably dates back to the Ptolemaic era according to Egypt’s Antiquities Ministry. The Ptolemaic era lasted from 305 BC to around 30 BC in Egypt, according to Ancient.eu.

The sphinx was discovered in the Kom Obmo temple. Archeologists also uncovered two sandstone reliefs from King Ptolemy V in the temple.

The Kom Ombo temple is considered a double temple. It has twin doors and reflecting hallways that honor two Gods.

A sphinx has the head of a human and the body of a lion according to history.com. It serves as a symbol in Egyptian mythology as well as Greek and Asian mythology. In Egyptian history, it was seen as a spiritual guide and is often found in burial chambers. Most times, the Egyptian sphinx is depicted with the head of a male wearing a pharaoh's headdress, though sometimes female depictions can be found.

More:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/new-sphinx-found-in-egyptian-temple/ar-BBNpSQ7?li=BBnb7Kz

[Judi Lynn]

2. A Remarkably Preserved Sandstone Sphinx Was Just Discovered in Egypt

Have they been... breeding?

MICHELLE STARR 18 SEP 2018

Archaeologists excavating the ruins of an ancient Egyptian temple have made the exquisite discovery of a sandstone sphinx statue that's been hidden for thousands of years.

The statue was found in the pharaonic temple of Kom Ombo, near the town of Aswan, as researchers were draining groundwater from the site, Mostafa Waziri of the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities announced via Facebook.

It is the latest in a string of archaeological discoveries that the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities has recently announced via the social media site, likely to generate renewed tourist interest in the country.

While it's definitely exciting, this particular sphinx is not the giant kind, though - it stands at just 38 centimetres (15 inches) high.

More:
https://www.sciencealert.com/sphinx-statue-found-kom-ombo-ptolemais-dynasty-ancient-egyptvvvvvvvvvvvvvv