New York University has suggested that people worked on the creation of the legendary Egyptian sphinx only partially. Experts have modelled the processes that took place on the territory of the current Giza Plateau 4.5 millennia ago and concluded that nature itself, namely erosion, probably did a lot of work on one of the wonders of the world.
Laboratory studies have confirmed that the strange sphinx-like shape often occurs on rocks due to the destructive effects of fast water flows and winds. Such rocks, often found in deserts, are called yadrangas.
The researchers modelled the landscape of northeastern Egypt and accounted for the combination of soft clay rocks with hard sediments. The computer then calculated the effects of weathering and water erosion on these materials. The outcome coincided with the hypothesis mentioned above.
