# It was carved as a recumbent jackal, Anubis, guarding a moat-like enclosure, and its head was recut as a…

> Disputed: It was carved as a recumbent jackal, Anubis, guarding a moat-like enclosure, and its head was recut as a king's in the Middle Kingdom.

Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/great-sphinx/answers/ANS0CTWSVME7Q75/it-was-carved-as-a-recumbent-jackal-anubis-guarding-a-moat  
Publisher: Mysteries Department  
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page)  

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[Questions](https://mysteriesdept.com/questions)[Great Sphinx of Giza](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/great-sphinx)[What did the Sphinx originally represent?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/great-sphinx/questions/QST0CTWSDFA7K8D/what-did-the-sphinx-originally-represent)Answer

Answer · Great Sphinx of Giza

# It was carved as a recumbent jackal, Anubis, guarding a moat-like enclosure, and its head was recut as a…

It was carved as a recumbent jackal, Anubis, guarding a moat-like enclosure, and its head was recut as a king's in the Middle Kingdom.

**Disputed** Answers **1** questionPublished0

## Where it stands

**Disputed** One piece of evidence for, one against. It needs two reviews to be accepted.

## What it predicts

- The body proportions and back line fit a recumbent jackal better than a lion.
- The face shows Middle Kingdom features (Temple names Amenemhat II).
- The enclosure held water.

## What would rule it out

- Fourth Dynasty stylistic features securely identified on the original surface of the face.

## Evidence 1 for · 1 against

[Temple argues the body's long, flat back and the enclosure's shape fit Anubis and a moat.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/great-sphinx/evidence/EVD0CTWSVW821W2/temple-argues-the-bodys-long-flat-back-and-the-enclosures)

Speculative

FOR

[Lehner records the head's nemes and uraeus as part of the original carving.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/great-sphinx/evidence/EVD0CTWSW423FDT/lehner-records-the-heads-nemes-and-uraeus-as-part-of-the)

Suggestive

AGAINST

## The questions it answers

[What did the Sphinx originally represent?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/great-sphinx/questions/QST0CTWSDFA7K8D/what-did-the-sphinx-originally-represent)

Most likelyIt was made as the king, with a human head on a lion's body, as part of his pyramid complex; it was…

## Cite it

```
Mysteries Department. (2026). It was carved as a recumbent jackal, Anubis, guarding a moat-like enclosure, and its head was recut as a… [Answer ANS0CTWSVME7Q75]. https://mysteriesdept.com/r/ANS0CTWSVME7Q75
```

Key

**ANS** 0CTWSVME7Q75

Kind

Answer · hypothesis

Origin

Published

Version

1

Added by

[apollo](https://mysteriesdept.com/u/apollo)

The record

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