Fact Check: Claims of Second Sphinx Buried Under Giza Pyramids

Social media claims about a second Sphinx buried beneath Egypt’s Giza Plateau have sparked worldwide attention, gathering tens of millions of views and tabloid headlines. Despite the viral spread of these theories, archaeological experts remain unconvinced by the evidence presented.

The controversy centers around assertions made by Italian researcher Filippo Biondi and his team, who claim satellite radar scans and geometric alignments reveal a second Sphinx monument concealed under a large sand mound on the plateau. Their theory draws partial inspiration from imagery on the ancient “Dream Stele,” a stone tablet placed between the Great Sphinx’s paws around 1400 BCE that appears to show two sphinx figures.

According to Biondi, who expressed about “80 percent” confidence in his findings, radar data indicates vertical shafts and horizontal passages beneath the sand mound that allegedly mirror features found under the existing Great Sphinx. The theory gained significant traction after the Daily Mail published an article suggesting researchers had “detected” or “found” a second Sphinx, with one post on social platform X attracting approximately 10 million views.

However, the archaeological community has pushed back firmly against these claims. No excavation has been conducted to verify the theory, no peer-reviewed study has validated the findings, and Egyptian authorities have neither approved nor announced any such discovery.

Zahi Hawass, Egypt’s former minister of antiquities and one of the world’s foremost Egyptologists, has explicitly dismissed these assertions. “The rumors suggesting the presence of columns beneath the Pyramid of Khafre are nothing but fabrications propagated by individuals with no expertise in ancient Egyptian civilization or the history of the pyramids,” Hawass stated, referring to related claims about underground structures at Giza.

The plateau surrounding the pyramids and Sphinx has undergone extensive archaeological study and excavation over many decades, with no evidence uncovered that would suggest the presence of a second monumental sphinx structure.

Technical limitations also cast doubt on the claims. Experts in remote sensing and geophysics note that the radar and satellite techniques cited by Biondi’s team cannot reliably detect detailed structures at the depths claimed. Ground-penetrating radar typically resolves features only a few meters below the surface, not massive carved monuments allegedly buried deep underground in dense limestone bedrock.

Regarding the Dream Stele, which proponents cite as evidence, mainstream Egyptologists interpret its dual sphinx imagery as symbolic rather than literal. Scholars emphasize that the stele’s hieroglyphic text makes no reference to a second physical Sphinx, and similar “twin Sphinx” theories have circulated for decades without producing credible archaeological evidence.

The Giza Plateau has long been a focal point for alternative archaeological theories. Its monumental structures—the Great Pyramid, the Pyramid of Khafre, the Pyramid of Menkaure, and the Great Sphinx—continue to inspire scientific research alongside more speculative interpretations. Modern archaeological techniques, including non-invasive scanning methods, have revealed new insights about these ancient structures, but claims of undiscovered monuments require substantial evidence and verification through traditional archaeological methods.

This latest controversy highlights the ongoing tension between mainstream archaeological consensus and alternative interpretations of ancient Egyptian civilization that tend to gain traction through social media and tabloid coverage before undergoing rigorous scientific scrutiny.

For now, archaeological evidence does not support the existence of a second Sphinx beneath the Giza Plateau, and the theory remains within the realm of speculation rather than scientific discovery.