Sphinx water erosion hypothesis

The Sphinx water erosion hypothesis is a fringe claim, contending that the Great Sphinx of Giza and its enclosing walls show erosion consistent with precipitation. Its proponents believe this dates the construction of the Sphinx to Predynastic Egypt or earlier. The hypothesis is inspired by the myth of Atlantis and it contradicts the mainstream view that the Sphinx was constructed contemporaneously with the Giza pyramid complex. Major proponents of the hypothesis include alternative Egyptologist John Anthony West, and geologist Robert Schoch.