# Lehner 1992: Reconstructing the Sphinx > Mark Lehner, 1992. 20 records on Mysteries Department cite it. The baseline archaeological account and the source for the Khafre attribution's reasoning. Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CTWRSPG31HX/reconstructing-the-sphinx Publisher: Mysteries Department Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page) --- [Sources](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources)[Great Sphinx of Giza](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/great-sphinx)Lehner 1992 **0** # Reconstructing the Sphinx Mark Lehner, 1992. _Cambridge Archaeological Journal 2(1): 3-26_. The ARCE field director's synthesis: the Sphinx as the valley element of Khafre's complex, the U-shaped quarry ditch and reserved core, the Sphinx Temple built from the ditch's stone, the 100-cubit body and 20-cubit head layout, the New Kingdom cladding, and the Dream Stele and Stela of Khufu's Daughter as later texts. **Great Sphinx of Giza** Articledoi: **[10.1017/S0959774300000445](https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959774300000445)** Checked against the original0 ## What it's used for here The baseline archaeological account and the source for the Khafre attribution's reasoning. ## Cited by on this site 20 records [It was made as the king, with a human head on a lion's body, as part of his pyramid complex; it was…](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/great-sphinx/answers/ANS0CTWSSXR57TC/it-was-made-as-the-king-with-a-human-head-on-a-lions-body-as) Answer ANS [The Sphinx was carved under Khafre, about 2550 to 2520 BC, in the same quarrying operation that supplied the…](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/great-sphinx/answers/ANS0CTWSDYY5J8F/the-sphinx-was-carved-under-khafre-about-2550-to-2520-bc-in) Answer ANS [The body was a reserved block left by cutting a U-shaped ditch into a sloping bedrock bench; no free-standing…](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/great-sphinx/answers/ANS0CTWSKTE583Y/the-body-was-a-reserved-block-left-by-cutting-a-u-shaped) Answer ANS [The head is as first carved; its size reflects the block of Member III rock available and a deliberate layout.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/great-sphinx/answers/ANS0CTWSXJY0SVW/the-head-is-as-first-carved-its-size-reflects-the-block-of) Answer ANS [The Great Sphinx of Giza](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/great-sphinx/artifacts/ART0CTWSZHE0B7D/the-great-sphinx-of-giza) ART [Lehner reads the body as laid out to 100 cubits and the head to a matching module.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/great-sphinx/evidence/EVD0CTWSTDC673K/lehner-reads-the-body-as-laid-out-to-100-cubits-and-the-head) Evidence EVD [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) Evidence EVD [Lehner records the original carved surface preserved beneath the oldest cladding, which is the surface this…](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/great-sphinx/evidence/EVD0CTWSQZ816VJ/lehner-records-the-original-carved-surface-preserved-beneath) Evidence EVD [Lehner's survey records the head carved from the harder Member III beds, a limited block, with the nemes and…](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/great-sphinx/evidence/EVD0CTWSXTR2NQ3/lehners-survey-records-the-head-carved-from-the-harder) Evidence EVD [No Old Kingdom text names the Sphinx or its maker.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/great-sphinx/evidence/EVD0CTWSF605M10/no-old-kingdom-text-names-the-sphinx-or-its-maker) Evidence EVD [The ditch was quarried around the body, and its stone went into the Sphinx Temple.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/great-sphinx/evidence/EVD0CTWSM283BYK/the-ditch-was-quarried-around-the-body-and-its-stone-went) Evidence EVD [The fossil-bed match ties the Sphinx Temple's blocks to the ditch, and the temple's construction matches…](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/great-sphinx/evidence/EVD0CTWSHCA660B/the-fossil-bed-match-ties-the-sphinx-temples-blocks-to-the) Evidence EVD [The head is small in proportion to the body, which all sides accept.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/great-sphinx/evidence/EVD0CTWSV4T19PV/the-head-is-small-in-proportion-to-the-body-which-all-sides) Evidence EVD [The head wears the nemes headdress with a uraeus, royal insignia of the Fourth Dynasty.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/great-sphinx/evidence/EVD0CTWST5J2ND9/the-head-wears-the-nemes-headdress-with-a-uraeus-royal) Evidence EVD [The Sphinx and the Sphinx Temple are carved and built from one quarry (conventional attribution)](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/great-sphinx/events/EVT0CTWS8B8174F/the-sphinx-and-the-sphinx-temple-are-carved-and-built-from) EVT [Khafre](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/great-sphinx/people/FIG0CTWS3PT2NFJ/khafre) FIG [The Great Sphinx of Giza](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/great-sphinx) The mystery article MYS [Was the head recarved from an earlier head?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/great-sphinx/questions/QST0CTWSDQ421NG/was-the-head-recarved-from-an-earlier-head) Question QST [What did the Sphinx originally represent?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/great-sphinx/questions/QST0CTWSDFA7K8D/what-did-the-sphinx-originally-represent) Question QST [When was the Great Sphinx carved?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/great-sphinx/questions/QST0CTWSCG26180/when-was-the-great-sphinx-carved) Question QST ## Cite it ``` Lehner, M. (1992). Reconstructing the Sphinx. Cambridge Archaeological Journal 2(1): 3-26. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959774300000445 ``` [Read it free at doi.org](https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959774300000445) Key **SRC** 0CTWRSPG31HX Kind Journal article Rights The publisher's Kept 27 Oct 2026, for editors Checked Against the published article Added by [apollo](https://mysteriesdept.com/u/apollo) The record Bibliographic records are CC0. Take this one as CSL-JSON, BibTeX or RIS. [CSL-JSON](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CTWRSPG31HX/reconstructing-the-sphinx/csl.json)