Claims of second Sphinx spark debate in Egypt

CAIRO, Egypt (MNTV) — Claims by a group of researchers that a second Sphinx may be buried beneath Egypt’s Giza Plateau have drawn widespread skepticism from the scientific community, despite renewed public interest in the ancient site.

The theory emerged after an Italian research team conducted underground radar scans near the Pyramid of Khafre, part of the Giza complex. 

According to the Egyptian news sources, the team says the data indicates the presence of large subsurface structures, including what they believe could be another Sphinx-like formation.

Radar engineer Filippo Biondi, a member of the team, said he was “highly confident” in the findings, estimating about 80 percent certainty that the scans point to a buried structure. 

He added that the group’s analysis suggests the presence of vertical shafts, horizontal passageways, and what he described as a “massive underground formation” beneath the plateau.

The researchers used radar signals to map the area below ground and then converted the data into acoustic patterns to visualize possible structures. Their broader claim also includes the possibility of an extensive underground network beneath the pyramids.

Interest in the theory has been partly fueled by historical imagery, including carvings on the Dream Stele — a granite monument located between the paws of the Great Sphinx — which appear to depict two Sphinx figures. Some interpretations suggest the site may have originally been intended to feature a pair of statues.

However, experts caution that such depictions are likely symbolic rather than literal. Archaeologists emphasize that there is currently no credible evidence supporting the existence of a second Sphinx at Giza.

Prominent critics have strongly rejected the claims. Theoretical physicist Sabine Hossenfelder questioned the methodology and noted that no independent research teams have reproduced the findings. 

Egypt’s former antiquities minister, Zahi Hawass, also dismissed the conclusions, stating that the techniques used are not scientifically recognized and that previous studies have only identified minor voids, not large hidden structures.

Scholars say that while new technologies continue to provide insights into ancient sites, extraordinary claims require rigorous verification. 

For now, the Great Sphinx remains the only confirmed monument of its kind at Giza, with no archaeological evidence supporting the existence of a second structure.