Is There Really a Second Sphinx Buried Under the Sands of Giza? Experts Say No
If you’ve seen a post on TikTok, YouTube or Facebook claiming a second Sphinx has been discovered buried at Giza, stop before you share it. There’s a good chance it’s nothing but speculation.
So far, no second Sphinx has been found. No excavation has taken place. No peer-reviewed study supports the theory.
Archaeologists and geophysics experts have firmly rejected it, and Egypt’s former antiquities minister called the claims “fabrications.” Here’s how the claim started and why it doesn’t hold up.
What the Second Sphinx Claim Actually Says
Italian researcher Filippo Biondi says radar scans suggest a second Sphinx may be buried beneath a sand mound on the Giza Plateau.
He explained his theory on the March 26 episode of the Matt Beall Limitless podcast, claiming the scans also revealed vertical shafts and horizontal passages pointing to an underground “megastructure.”
Biondi is reportedly 80% confident in his theory.
The sand mound in question is reportedly approximately 108 feet tall, made of hardened sand rather than bedrock. He believes geometric alignments between the pyramids and the known Sphinx point toward the buried monument’s location.
He also alluded to the Dream Stele — a granite slab in front of the Great Sphinx placed around 1400 BC — which appears to depict two sphinx figures. The Dream Stele has been mentioned in previous claims through the years.
Biondi says he is currently awaiting permission from Egyptian authorities to excavate the mound. It’s unclear if permission will be granted.
Experts Aren’t Convinced of a Second Sphinx
Egypt’s former Minister of Antiquities Zahi Hawass dismissed the claims in a statement on his Facebook page in 2025.
“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,” he wrote.
Hawass noted the area has been extensively studied and excavated for decades without finding anything resembling a second monument.
This is one of the most critical details in debunking the claim. Geophysics experts caution that the radar techniques Biondi cited cannot reliably detect structures at the depths claimed.
Ground-penetrating radar typically only resolves features a few meters below the surface — far too shallow to confirm a monument buried beneath a mound reportedly 108 feet tall.
The technology Biondi points to as his primary evidence simply isn’t capable of showing what he says it shows, leading experts to conclude that his claim is pure speculation.
Furthermore, mainstream Egyptologists interpret the Dream Stele’s imagery symbolically, not as a literal map.
They also note the stele’s text does not mention a second Sphinx. What Biondi treats as a key piece of supporting evidence has a well-understood scholarly explanation that does not involve a hidden monument.
Claims of a Second Sphinx Have Gone Viral Before
Biondi isn’t the first person to float this theory. Egyptologist Bassam El Shammaa raised a similar claim over a decade ago, citing ancient records describing a lightning bolt striking the Sphinx as possibly referencing a destroyed second monument.
In 2021, Egyptian tourism official Reda Abdel Halim claimed a second Sphinx had been found, reportedly measuring 246 feet high with a 67-foot head and hands extending over 50 feet.
None of these earlier claims have been substantiated either.
As of right now, there is no confirmed archaeological evidence of a second Sphinx at Giza. Biondi’s theory remains speculation — not a confirmed scientific discovery.
The Great Sphinx of Giza is a 4,500-year-old limestone statue featuring a lion’s body and a human head, stretching 240 feet long and 66 feet high.
It was largely buried in sand for centuries until the first modern excavation in 1817, led by Giovanni Battista Caviglia. The statue was fully excavated by Émile Baraize between 1925 and 1936.
The real Sphinx is remarkable enough on its own.
Next time this claim pops up in your feed, you’ve got the facts to counter it. Share this instead of the viral post.
This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.
