In early photographs taken before modern restoration, the Great Sphinx was still largely buried in sand, with only the head and upper body exposed. Ancient records show this had happened many times before. Inscriptions from the New Kingdom describe the Sphinx being swallowed by sand and later cleared again, including restoration work under Thutmose IV, who placed the Dream Stele between its paws. Even then, the monument was treated as something already ancient. What stands out is how differently

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Did the Great Sphinx of Egypt Originally Have a Different Head?

Unraveling the Many Mysteries of Ancient Egypt