Sphinx of Memphis
MaterialAlabaster
Sizelength: 8 m
height: 4 m
Createdc. 1550 BC
Discovered1912
Egypt

The Sphinx of Memphis or Alabaster Sphinx is a stone sphinx located near the remains of Memphis, Egypt. The carving is believed to have taken place between 1700 and 1400 BCE, which was during the 18th Dynasty.[1] It is not known which pharaoh is being honored and there are no inscriptions to supply this information. Facial features imply that the Sphinx is honoring Hatshepsut, or Amenhotep II, or Amenhotep III.[1][2]

Discovery

The Alabaster Sphinx was discovered in 1912 by Flinders Petrie,[3] when an affiliate from the British School in America spotted a uniquely carved object jutting out of a sand hill. It was so far in the season that excavation was useless, but a year later in 1913, further digging displayed that the object was a Sphinx's tail.[2]

Composition

The sphinx is carved from a block of alabaster, a yellowish white, soft stone, which was considered beautiful in ancient Egypt and was believed to have a mystical connection to the Sun.[4]

Physical attributes

With a length of 8 m (26 ft) and a height of 4 m (13 ft), the Sphinx of Memphis is considerably smaller than the more recognized Great Sphinx of Giza, but one of the largest monuments ever made from Egyptian alabaster.[3] At those dimensions, it is estimated to weigh around 90 tons.[1] It is supported by a foundation that makes it appear to rise out of the sand.[5] Particularly unusual about the Sphinx of Memphis are the striations on its left side, which are uncommon on Egyptian monuments.[6]

Other information

As years passed from the sphinx's creation, people ravaged Memphite temples and the Sphinx of Memphis is one of the few masterpieces that survived this pillaging.[7] During its time, this statue was also displayed near a temple in honor of Ptah. Ptah was one of the Egyptians' world-creator gods.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Alabaster Sphinx". InterCity Oz (Interoz.com). 1996. Archived from the original on 19 April 2000. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  2. ^ a b Davis, Charles H. S. (1912). "Archaeological notes". The American Antiquarian and Oriental Journal. 34 (3): 228-229, 235. The alabaster sphinx recently discovered near Memphis is believed...
  3. ^ a b "The Sphinx of Memphis, 1920s". Egypt Museum. 15 October 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  4. ^ "Calcite". Glimmerdream. 2003. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
  5. ^ "Alabaster Sphinx". Phouka Pages. Egyptian Journey 2003: Photos: Memphis. 2003. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  6. ^ Lutz, Dick; Lutz, Mary (2007). Exploring Egypt: A traveler's view of an ancient civilization. DIMI Press. p. 97. ISBN 978-0931-62544-2. ISBN 0931-62544-0
  7. ^ Shaw, Ian (1997). "Chapter 5 – The settled world". In Silverman, D.P. (ed.). Ancient Egypt. Oxford, UK / New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p. 75. ISBN 0-19-521952-X. The New Kingdom calcite sphinx is one of the few monuments to have survived medieval pillaging of Memphite temples ...
  8. ^ "Memphis [was one of] the most ancient of Egypt's capital[s]". Love Egypt. Archived from the original on 1 January 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
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