Quote:
Originally posted by Larspeart
I don't buy that. the fact is, the body was protected by stationary sand for the last 2-3,000 years, whereas the face was exposxed to the elements the entire time. That will make a HUGE difference in regards to erosion.
No, it wasn't. The Sphinx has been covered and uncovered and recovered and reuncovered several times during its existence. The body is also very severely damaged, and has been the focus of several restoration efforts, beginning with King Thutmosis the Fourth in around 1400 BCE. The body is made of several different types of stone, gotten from several different places, applied during several different time periods. It's a big mess, and most proponents of either side of the debate tend to stay away from the body, referring instead to the stonework surrounding the Sphinx.