Hello Steemians!
Today we're gonna scratch the answer to the question:
“What is a Sphinx doing in Zadar, Croatia?”
We all know about the anthropomorphic creature from Egyptian and Greek mythology that has the head of a human and the body of a lion. Many sphinx have been built throughout history, in different shapes and sizes. Some of them remain above ground, some have been destroyed by conflict, and others lost beneath the eternal oceans of sand, only to be discovered in modern times, such as the one found last year in Kom Ombo, an ancient temple near the city of Aswan.
The Kom Ombo one seems to be a ''younger'' sphinx, and is believed to be only 2000 years old, where as the age of the Great Sphinx of Giza still remains a dispute among different currents of researchers and scientists. Their opinions vary a lot so the age is estimated from 4500 – 9000 years.
The Enigma of the Great Sphinx of Giza
Source: wiki The Spinx circa 1880s, by Beniamino Facchinelli.
Another thing that scientists can't agree on is the true purpose of the sphinx in ancient societies.
Was it simply a monument to the pharaohs or a guardian of their royal tombs?
A landmark for stars and constellations, or even a keeper of lost forbidden knowledge and even ancient technologies?
It still remains a mystery and it may remain an eternal enigma because of the complications surrounding the research among other reasons.
Manny archeologists and geologists don't agree on the textbook definitions about the sphinx, and believe there is still a lot to be researched, especially using newer technologies and methods, but they are facing many obstructions by a handful of mainstream egyptologists who have close ties to strict Egyptian government.
I highly recommend this video from Joe Rogan’s podcast, featuring Robert Schoch talking about the complications of research regarding the sphinx in modern times, and his opinions on the age of the sphinx.
The sphinx can also be found in the Greek mythology since the two cultures had influenced each other, and had very tight correlations trough trading. In the Greek mythology the sphinx was been considered a female creature, with similar features. A humans head (woman's) and the body of a lion, but she had a tail of a serpent and the wings of an eagle. This time the story surrounding the sphinx and its role is a bit clearer and simpler, since in the stories of the Greeks she was a more dynamic character than the one we know from Egypt. She was a city gatekeeper, blocking the entrance to anyone who couldn’t solve her riddles.
Surprisingly, today we are neither in Egypt or Greece, but in the mediterranean coast of Croatia in southeastern Europe, in the city of Zadar. The region around Zadar is rich with archeological and historical sights, with traces of many different cultures since 9th-century BC to Roman, Byzantine and Austrian empires.
But how did a Sphinx end up in Zadar, Croatia? Find out in part II
Hi @direwolfslair. The Sphinx certainly is a mystery. I like the old photo you found (1880) where the Sphinx is being uncovered. What a massive structure. I never thought of the face being that of a woman..
I wonder if we will ever uncover the true meanings. The politics and mainstream science groups in Egypt are kinda unfriendly towards new research, because it might change the textbooks. Oh well, maybe one day all that will come to an end.