Almost Daily Cat Haiku

The new sphinx also has a nose, which which is definitely better than not having one. But the old sphinx did not want to not have a nose, someone stole it from right under her… um… eyes….

And before you bring it up, no. Napoleon didn’t use the statue for target practice, shooting off the nose with a cannon. Our grade school teachers lied to us. Well, maybe not lied. They didn’t know either. They just perpetuated an erroneous factoid, as was their way… An erroneous factoid that began in the late Victorian era as a story told by tour guides to European travelers to the Giza Plateau. The historical inaccuracy was rapidly embraced by British vacationers, as they relished any opportunity to disrepute the French. Highly ironic, as it was typically the British themselves who vandalized historic landmarks around the globe. Of course, had the sphinx’s damage been England’s fault, the nose wouldn’t be missing, it would be in a museum in London.

But also ironic because when Napoleon came to Egypt in the 1790s he brought with him hundreds of scientists and scholars with the express purpose of learning and preserving Egyptian history.  These Napoleonic French historians were the founders of modern Egyptology, and located many important archeological sites and artifacts, including the Rosetta Stone.

So what DID happen to the big stone kitty’s nose? Most archeologists now agree that it was intentionally chiseled off. Probably as a result of competing religious iconography; one group destroying the sectarian representations of a differing dogma. There is a lesser school of thought that believes the statue was damaged by erosion, and portions were removed to prevent further damage. While that would make sense for the pointy bits, those features that protrud like the nose, ears, and beard (all of which had been chiseled off prior to the 15th century), there are also clear tool markings around the eyes, forehead, and other flat areas that likely would not have had extensive weathering but would have had symbols or markings. In a case of iconocaslm, these would have been removed in addition to the general defacement of the monument, supporting the theory of religious suppression.

The nose is gone. No parts of it have been positively identified from the fragments of of stone and sand excavated from around the site. But portions of the Sphinx’s beard are on diaplay… in London. Because, British.

So, stop blaming Napoleon and the French at large. Blame religion and the British.

Remember those five words, as they can be widely applicable to many modern day conundra.

But anycrap. It’s Tuesday. Have some pizza.