Experiments conducted by Leif Ristroph, a physicist and applied mathematician at New York University, have provided fresh evidence to support a controversial hypothesis about the formation of the Great Sphinx of Giza. Ristroph noticed that tiny shapes resembling lions, similar to the Great Sphinx, emerged during experiments on clay erosion in response to flowing water. These findings suggest that the natural process of creating a land formation known as a yardang may have been followed by humans adding additional details to create the final statue. Ristroph’s previous experiments on topics such as bubble formation and paper airplane flight stability have also yielded interesting results.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2023/11/study-reveals-how-natural-processes-helped-sculpt-the-great-sphinx-of-giza/