Show THE GREAT SPHINX t investigations and bet dot luann aits the timea times prints an account of t the he excavations made under the direction nt of al grebaus Gre baut with ith the object of clearing the earld which a ear ego bad buried the great sphinx algosi loathe the last occasion on which the sphinx was cleared down to the level on ou which the pawa paws net was ill honor of of the canal in 1860 the work of excavating ie is atthe at the present lime time IS in active pro gress aire already a dy the abee entire tire forepart of f the great monster cr is laid laia bare aud the huge cheat chest the pairs the space between the dawso paw the altar in front of if them and the plat form upon which they they rest are once more open ope n to the light of day nor i this all between the sphinx and the edge of the pa pyramid ra mid plateau a vast apace space has been cleared thus bring bringing ng to view view a fine flight of steps some in width these steps which are described by pliny were uncovered by Cavi caviglia glis in 1817 but have since been entire ly lusi lust to bight frn the level of the ibe area below the great sight flight of steps which lead do down wo and not nut up tot to the he sphinx inea the whole height O 0 of athe the huge human beaded whose battered balt ered countenance stands out against the cloudless sky ky looter the pace space between the paws 1 is long aud and I 1 oft wide th this e was sucie I 1 co converted anve buted into a email small sanctuary lined with votive tablets nily one of which the famous limous etela stela of Thoth rues IV yet remains iasi t aitu iu the tablet 1411 high and is cut culT from nini a block of if thi sattie red granite of A r tajan whereat the neighbouring neighbour ing temple ot of khaara ra is built the granite aliar altar bahto the pane paig is ot of iho the eanie syenite and most probably came the same coo veri eni quarry tins thid last however howeler is of It Rj mian very roughly executed the cawi ot of the sphinx aa as they now appear are a of roman date being cased in om para ively slabs and to come souie ex extent teut hollow bollow underneath the breast of the sphinx had like likewise wide been faced nith ith slab apparently in roman time timet and these slabs have bave again been repaired by cutting cuttings the weathered surface and inserting ina erting a fresh mesh facing like the legs ot of the colossi of the plain and those oi of the great statutes at abort the paws of the sphinx are covered with the greek scrawls of early travellers trav ellers INI grabants Greb ants excavations are not limited to the clearance of the sphinx only various interesting have lately latel been discovered in the vicinity of the great pyramid id saud to the westward the face of the libyan cliff has been reached where it fornis the natural bound ary odthe of the pyramid plateau some good gowl early rock rockcut cut tombs with built lore fore courts have been bien found in the face of this cliff in in two of which the walle dup recesses or on secret chamber chambers called ser dabs which were constructed for thu the safe eafe keeping of funerary portrait sta stiv aued ire are yet intact with their theirs contents by far the most interesting of these r recent e tomb discoveries is that of the sepulchre of a certain se fe or royal a efon rd kuhau kha f athe the j g glory of khuou who was probably the eon son of the buil builder der of the tile great pyramid the doorway of the inner chamber f this tomb is decorated iu it U bas relief with the earliest representation of if a it column yet discovered the shaft i shown to be cylindrical tapering slightly towards the lop top where it enda ends in in a R ring surmounted by an averted capital resembling the usual lotus capital but without tha the graceful curvature of outlive which distinguishes ling ashes the lotus order the b babe of the tile shaft abaft le finished by a rounded drum the celebrated tombs of beni II 11 assen in which occur the earlier columns ME previously revin tuly known belt belong ng to 1 the dynasty and are about 1200 yeara later than the era of khuou |