THE SPHINX

Despite the objections of Hawass and Lehner, I stand by my correlation that the tomb of Debehen is carved from the Secepet Member (Member II) of the Mokattam Formation, as is the majority of the core body of the Sphinx. Lithologically the rocks are comparable. Furthermore, although they are virtually flat lying in a few isolated areas, overall the rocks of the Giza Plateau dip about 5-10 degrees to the southeast and strike NE-SW; the rocks of Debehen to the west-southwest of the Sphinx should be about 100 feet higher in elevation than the same member in the Sphinx enclosure. Given that the tomb and the Sphinx are less than 500 yards from each other, it is valid to compare the weathering and erosional features of the two areas. The fact that the tomb of Debehen is today "higher and drier" can be taken into account when comparing weathering profiles, and has little bearing on the ancient weathering agents that have been a focus of my research.

            Hawass and Lehner disagree with my analysis of the two-stage construction of the Sphinx and Valley Temples, asserting that the limestone and granite were emplaced at the same time. Yet, they do not offer any evidence for their assertion other than an analogy between the construction of Menkaure's Pyramid (which has granite facing limestone) and the Sphinx Temple. I have studied both Menkaure's Pyramid and the Sphinx Temple on site and I do not believe that construction details are comparable.

            I never meant to imply that the walls of the Sphinx enclosure were originally absolutely vertical. In a published illustration I show them at an approximately 80 degree angle before being weathered. However, the fact remains that even taking such a small slope into account the harder layers at the top of the section have been in general eroded back further than softer layers lower in the section, thus corroborating the hypothesis of an older Sphinx.