Sphinx body carved from Eocene lagoon marine layers

Sphinx body carved from Eocene lagoon marine layers. Sphinx body composed of soft marly layers interspersed with harder beds These layers formed from marine mud and silts accumulating in a lagoon environment The lagoon was inhabited by burrowing bivalves and sea urchins

The Sphinx body was carved from soft marly layers laid down in an ancient Eocene lagoon. Burrowing bivalves and sea urchins once lived in those warm retreating seas 🐚

Key Facts

• Sphinx body composed of soft marly layers interspersed with harder beds
• These layers formed from marine mud and silts accumulating in a lagoon environment
• The lagoon was inhabited by burrowing bivalves and sea urchins
• This sedimentation occurred as Eocene seawaters retreated further north
• The layers represent a fairly regular sequence of deposits

Related site: Great Sphinx of Giza — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.

Source: The Sphinx - Part 2 - Geological Context by History, Myths & Legends