The Roman Remains at the Great Sphinx of Giza
Appendix 2
Images of the New Kingdom and Old Kingdom Remains uncovered by Baraize below the Roman Remains at the Great Sphinx
Unless stated otherwise, all photographs below date to Baraize's excavations between 1925-1936.
- Mud brick structures below the upper Roman Stairway
The foundations of an unusual u-shaped structure built in mud-brick are visible in the foreground. If Salt's and Dr. Ricci's original plans are accurate, this would have been buried under the 2nd flight of stairs belonging to the Roman period which connected with the pedestal, the base of which is shown here in the mid-right of the image.
Image Details: Archives Lacau, Centre Golenischeff, EPHE, PSL. "Black and White Photo 02399 from Egypt/Giza/Unspecified Sphinx Area 7". (2017) In ARCE Sphinx Project 1979-1983 Archive. Mark Lehner, Megan Flowers, Rebekah Miracle (Eds.) . Released: 2017-12-23. Licensed under CC by 4.0
A detailed view of the u-shaped structure that probably dates to the New Kingdom.
Image Details: Archives Lacau, Centre Golenischeff, EPHE, PSL. "Black and White Photo 02398 from Egypt/Giza/Unspecified Sphinx Area 7". (2017) In ARCE Sphinx Project 1979-1983 Archive. Mark Lehner, Megan Flowers, Rebekah Miracle (Eds.) . Released: 2017-12-23. Licensed under CC by 4.0
The platform area photographed from the North west. In the lower left of the image the U-shaped mud brick structure probably belonging to the New Kingdom can be seen immediately to the east of the remains of the Roman pedestal illustrated by Henry Salt.
Image Details: Archives Lacau, Centre Golenischeff, EPHE, PSL. "Color Photo 004186 from Egypt/Giza/Unspecified Sphinx Area 2". (2017) In ARCE Sphinx Project 1979-1983 Archive. Mark Lehner, Megan Flowers, Rebekah Miracle (Eds.) . Released: 2017-12-23. Licensed under CC by 4.0
2. New Kingdom Remains below the Roman stairway and upper platform
A cross-sectional view of the Roman stairway from the south revealing a deep accumulation/deposit of material below it.
Image Details: Archives Lacau, Centre Golenischeff, EPHE, PSL. "Black and White Photo 02411 from Egypt/Giza/Unspecified Sphinx Area 7". (2017) In ARCE Sphinx Project 1979-1983 Archive. Mark Lehner, Megan Flowers, Rebekah Miracle (Eds.) . Released: 2017-12-23. Licensed under CC by 4.0
After removing the lower steps of the Roman stairway, Baraize revealed an earlier and narrower mud brick staircase below probably dating to the New Kingdom period.
Image Details: Archives Lacau, Centre Golenischeff, EPHE, PSL. "Black and White Photo 02410 from Egypt/Giza/Unspecified Sphinx Area 7". (2017) In ARCE Sphinx Project 1979-1983 Archive. Mark Lehner, Megan Flowers, Rebekah Miracle (Eds.) . Released: 2017-12-23. Licensed under CC by 4.0
A view of the earlier mud brick staircase from the west.
Image Details: Archives Lacau, Centre Golenischeff, EPHE, PSL. "Black and White Photo 02413 from Egypt/Giza/Unspecified Sphinx Area 7". (2017) In ARCE Sphinx Project 1979-1983 Archive. Mark Lehner, Megan Flowers, Rebekah Miracle (Eds.) . Released: 2017-12-23. Licensed under CC by 4.0
The earlier staircase after the complete removal of the Roman stairway and its associated platform above.
Image Details: Archives Lacau, Centre Golenischeff, EPHE, PSL. "Black and White Photo 02414 from Egypt/Giza/Unspecified Sphinx Area 7". (2017) In ARCE Sphinx Project 1979-1983 Archive. Mark Lehner, Megan Flowers, Rebekah Miracle (Eds.) . Released: 2017-12-23. Licensed under CC by 4.0
Baraize removed the Roman period platform revealing the foundations of earlier mud brick structures below it probably dating to the New Kingdom.
Image Details: Archives Lacau, Centre Golenischeff, EPHE, PSL. "Black and White Photo 02419 from Egypt/Giza/Unspecified Sphinx Area 7". (2018) In ARCE Sphinx Project 1979-1983 Archive. Mark Lehner, Megan Flowers, Rebekah Miracle (Eds.) . Released: 2018-03-23. Licensed under CC by 4.0
The earlier mud brick structures uncovered by the removal of the Roman period viewing platform viewed from the West.
Image Details: Archives Lacau, Centre Golenischeff, EPHE, PSL. "Black and White Photo 02422 from Egypt/Giza/Unspecified Sphinx Area 7". (2017) In ARCE Sphinx Project 1979-1983 Archive. Mark Lehner, Megan Flowers, Rebekah Miracle (Eds.) . Released: 2017-12-23. Licensed under CC by 4.0
3. Multiple Periods Intersecting
In this image we can see the product of three millennia of activity at the site of the Great Sphinx. In the far left we see the Roman stairway, in the upper part of the image we see the mud brick walls dating to the New Kingdom of Egypt and in the lower foreground we can see the megalithic limestone blocks that formed the western wall of the Old Kingdom Sphinx Temple buried below.
Image Details: Archives Lacau, Centre Golenischeff, EPHE, PSL. "Black and White Photo 02600 from Egypt/Giza/Unspecified Sphinx Area 8". (2017) In ARCE Sphinx Project 1979-1983 Archive. Mark Lehner, Megan Flowers, Rebekah Miracle (Eds.) . Released: 2017-12-23. Licensed under CC by 4.0
The same area after removal of the high mud brick wall with the base of the Roman stairway in the foreground to the left.
Image Details: Archives Lacau, Centre Golenischeff, EPHE, PSL. "Black and White Photo 02380 from Egypt/Giza/Unspecified Sphinx Area 7". (2017) In ARCE Sphinx Project 1979-1983 Archive. Mark Lehner, Megan Flowers, Rebekah Miracle (Eds.) . Released: 2017-12-23. Licensed under CC by 4.0
4. The Old Kingdom Sphinx Temple in relation to the Roman Stairway and platform
The Roman staircase viewed from the South. The narrower upper flight of stairs is a contemporary staircase probably used by the excavators and/or visitors to the site to access the upper and lower levels of the excavation.
In the centre foreground, large megalithic blocks belonging to the upper levels of the Sphinx Temple can be seen.
Image Details: Archives Lacau, Centre Golenischeff, EPHE, PSL. "Color Photo 004161 from Egypt/Giza/Unspecified Sphinx Area 2". (2017) In ARCE Sphinx Project 1979-1983 Archive. Mark Lehner, Megan Flowers, Rebekah Miracle (Eds.) . Released: 2017-12-23. Licensed under CC by 4.0
A closer view of the megalithic limestone blocks belonging to the western wall of the Old Kingdom Sphinx Temple, showing how the Roman staircase overlay it.
Image Details: Archives Lacau, Centre Golenischeff, EPHE, PSL. "Black and White Photo 02412 from Egypt/Giza/Unspecified Sphinx Area 7". (2017) In ARCE Sphinx Project 1979-1983 Archive. Mark Lehner, Megan Flowers, Rebekah Miracle (Eds.) . Released: 2017-12-23. Licensed under CC by 4.0
Detail of the south western corner of the Roman period staircase. To the south of it (in the mid right of the image) large limestone blocks can be seen belonging to the upper courses of the Old Kingdom "Sphinx Temple" that lay beneath the staircase.
Image Details: Archives Lacau, Centre Golenischeff, EPHE, PSL. "Color Photo 004214 from Egypt/Giza/Unspecified Sphinx Area 2". (2017) In ARCE Sphinx Project 1979-1983 Archive. Mark Lehner, Megan Flowers, Rebekah Miracle (Eds.) . Released: 2017-12-23. Licensed under CC by 4.0
A view from the Great Sphinx showing the upper levels of the Old Kingdom "Sphinx Temple" on the right of the image and the Roman staircase that had been constructed over it's northern half on the left of the photograph.
The discovery of the temple below is possibly why Baraize and his excavators chose to remove the Roman remains rather than preserve them.
Image Details: Archives Lacau, Centre Golenischeff, EPHE, PSL. "Color Photo 004265 from Egypt/Giza/Unspecified Sphinx Area 2". (2017) In ARCE Sphinx Project 1979-1983 Archive. Mark Lehner, Megan Flowers, Rebekah Miracle (Eds.) . Released: 2017-12-23. Licensed under CC by 4.0
The Roman staircase photographed from the north of the Great Sphinx.
The south west corner of the Old Kingdom "Sphinx Temple" has been partially revealed by the removal of mudbrick walls erected by Thutmose IV.
Image Details: Archives Lacau, Centre Golenischeff, EPHE, PSL. "Color Photo 004189 from Egypt/Giza/Unspecified Sphinx Area 2". (2017) In ARCE Sphinx Project 1979-1983 Archive. Mark Lehner, Megan Flowers, Rebekah Miracle (Eds.) . Released: 2017-12-23. Licensed under CC by 4.0
Click here to go to Appendix 1 (Images of the Roman Remains at the Great Sphinx of Giza)
Click here to go to Appendix 3 (Images and Translations of some of the Greco-Roman Inscriptions uncovered at the Great Sphinx)
To return to the main article click here.
Title Image Details: Archives Lacau, Centre Golenischeff, EPHE, PSL. "Black and White Photo 02377 from Egypt/Giza/Unspecified Sphinx Area 7". (2017) In ARCE Sphinx Project 1979-1983 Archive. Mark Lehner, Megan Flowers, Rebekah Miracle (Eds.) . Released: 2017-12-23. Licensed under CC by 4.0