How much does the Sphinx weigh?

About 200 tons

How big is the sphinx compared to the great pyramid (http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_big_is_the_sphinx_compared_to_the_great_pyrami d)

About 200 tons

How big is the sphinx compared to the great pyramid (http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_big_is_the_sphinx_compared_to_the_great_pyrami d)

This doesn't pass the smell test. To put it in perspective - a Boeng 747 weighs more than twice that amount, so clearly this figure is not right.

Rock has a density of about 2 tons per cubic yard. The basic dimensions of the Sphinx are 65 ft high by 265 ft long by 20 ft wide - that works out to a bit more than 12000 cubic yards. Now we need to reduce that calculation by some amount because the Sphinx is not square on all sides (the head sticks up a lot higher than the rest of the body), so let's estimate it to be about 8000 cubic yards in volume. That would mean the Sphinx weighs around 16,000 tons, not a measly 200.

Just goes to show that you can't trust everything that's on the internet!

This doesn't pass the smell test. To put it in perspective - a Boeng 747 weighs more than twice that amount, so clearly this figure is not right.

Rock has a density of about 2 tons per cubic yard. The basic dimensions of the Sphinx are 65 ft high by 265 ft long by 20 ft wide - that works out to a bit more than 12000 cubic yards. Now we need to reduce that calculation by some amount because the Sphinx is not square on all sides (the head sticks up a lot higher than the rest of the body), so let's estimate it to be about 8000 cubic yards in volume. That would mean the Sphinx weighs around 16,000 tons, not a measly 200.

Just goes to show that you can't trust everything that's on the internet!


Hi ebaines,

I guess the other point is that the Sphinx is a monolith (a rather small one). So we would be talking how much does the carved portion weigh?

Tut

I guess the other point is that the Sphinx is a monolith (a rather small one). So we would be talking how much does the carved portion weigh?

Tut

Yep. The dimensions I gave are for the portion of the rock that is above ground from which the Sphinx was created.

The empty wieght of a 747 is under 400,000 lbs. Boeing 747 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_747#Specifications)

Per that wikipedia site max takoff weight is over 400 tons.

The point was that clearly the statement tha the Sphinx weighs 200 tons is way, way off from reality. A rock that is 5 ft x 5 ft x 4 ft weighs about 200 tons.

I was actually tying to point out that a 747 isn't twice that weight, it is 200 tons or 400,000 lbs.