Early conservation effort? 3,400 year old wall found at Giza shows Thutmose IV tried to preserve Sphinx

A new discovery made by Dr. Zahi Hawass and his team shows that an ancient pharaoh made serious efforts to save the Sphinx.

At Giza his team found the remains of a mudbrick enclosure wall that would have surrounded the Sphinx, perhaps protecting it from sand blown by wind.

Made of mudbrick, the first section runs to the east of the Sphinx for 86 meters north-south and is 75 cm tall.

The second section is 46 meters long, 90 cm in size, and runs east-west along the perimeter of Khafre’s valley temple. The two sides converge in the southeast.

Archaeologists are already aware of a wall that runs to the north of Sphinx, now they know that it is part of a larger enclosure.

According to ancient texts Thutmose IV decided to protect the Sphinx because of a dream he had.

“According to ancient Egyptian texts the construction of this wall was the result of a dream which Thutmose had after a long hunting trip in Wadi El-Ghezlan (Deer Valley), an area next to the Sphinx. In the king’s dream, the Sphinx asked the king to move the sand away from his body because it choked him. For this favor, the Sphinx promised to make Thutmose IV King of Egypt,” reads the Supreme Council of Antiquities press release.

The remains of Khafre’s Pyramid settlement?

While conducting work at Giza, the team also found a mudbrick wall on the eastern side of Khafre’s valley temple. While a modest find it could have been part of something grander.

“This wall could be the remains of Khafre’s pyramid settlement, which was inhabited by priests and officials who oversaw the activities of the mortuary cult of Khafre. This cult began at the king’s death and continued until the eighth dynasty (ca. 2143-2134 BCE), which was the end of the Old Kingdom,” reads the statement.

It appears that this settlement was abandoned by the time of the Middle Kingdom (starting 2,000 BCE).

Check Related Content

Tomb of ancient Egyptian priest Rudj-Ka discovered at Giza

• The Sphinx is sexy? New video by Marina Orlova highlights the ancient monument
• Drilling Under the Sphinx: A Heritage Key Video About Keeping Your Paws Dry
• Amenhotep III & sun god Re-Horakhti statue unearthed at pharaoh's funerary temple in Luxor
• 3,000-year-old double statue of Pharaoh Amenhotep III discovered at his funerary temple in Luxor

The team dug a six meter deep trench in the area in front of Khafre’s valley temple. In the portion dating to the Middle Kingdom they found only sand.

Today, one of the main dangers to the Great Sphinx is the rising ground water levels. How do you keep the Great Sphinx’s paws dry? Eight pumping stations were installed around the Sphinx and its associated temples that continue to remove 7,000 cubic meters of water every day.  Since its activation the system has reduced the groundwater level by about a meter, nearly eliminating the water that had gathered around Khafre’s Valley Temple and reversing the threat. Efforts to eliminate the threat altogether continue. Learn more in this Heritage Key video about drilling under the Great Sphinx, featuring Dr Mark Lehner and Dr Zahi Hawass.

Read 3 comments, or leave your own

About The Author

Owen Jarus (follow me: e-mail or )

Last three pieces by this author:

19 New Objects from King Tutankhamun's Tomb Discovered in New York | 'Unique' astronomical object reveals Ancient Egyptians kept close tabs on the Big Dipper | King Tut suffered 'massive' chest injury, new research reveals

Owen Jarus is a freelance writer based in Toronto ,Canada. He has written articles on archaeology for a variety of media outlets including The Canadian Press newswire (CP), U of T Magazine, The Mississauga News and The Guelph Mercury. Education: BA from the University of Toronto in History, Geography and Near & Middle Eastern Civilizations.