The Sphinx water erosion hypothesis is a fringe claim, contending that the Great Sphinx of Giza and its enclosing walls eroded primarily due to ancient floods or rainfalls, attributing their creation to Plato’s lost civilization of Atlantis
(Italics added, because - what? I’ve never seen that)
Here’s another example of this type of argument from the larger article:
The Orion correlation theory posits that it was instead aligned to face the constellation of Leo during the vernal equinox around 10,500 BC. The idea is considered pseudoarchaeology by academia, because no textual or archaeological evidence supports this to be the reason for the orientation of the Sphinx
(Italics added) Whether it is or is not; the countervailing argument is “no, because we have no proof it is”. Well no proof is just that - no proof either way. Isn’t it? This theory of astronomical alignment is based on solid empirical facts, though it is just a theory. Saying, “no it can’t be because we haven’t found a book from the time period” is a weird argument to say it disproves it. At best it says it can’t prove it.
That’s not to say a core sample test isn’t a good indicator, or some of the other causes-for-erosion aren’t as-or-more likely in the case of dating the Sphinx structure. It’s just that the particular argument that “we haven’t dug up definitive proof” is - not a great argument to base an unchallengeable assertion on. At best one has to allow alternate theories which have not been empirically disproven are possible.
A borehole survey is pretty empirical, my dude. It’s basic geoarchaeology and used heavily in geoscience and engineering. Most responsibile construction projects use them and you know they’re not spending money on things that aren’t tried and true. It is how I hunt extinct rivers and other watercourses in other parts of the world. They don’t just go poof. Plus the palaeo record would show what lived in and around it.
Archaeology works backwards from the known to the unknown. We bring our own biases to science, so that’s why we have to build our case for theories brick by brick, to avoid those and check ourselves. He’s welcome to provide proof, but so far he hasn’t had any that fits the data. We welcome these ideas when there’s proof. Rivers with the ability to carve rock like that leave large footprints. Multiple people’s careers would be made if there was such evidence, but there isn’t. Large discoveries are good for archaeology and bring funding. Science with a capital S isn’t perfect, but the data disproves it, if anything.
Speaking of, since that site was recently uncovered, how does OSL work for it? Are there any qualifications to dating it with OSL or is it the same whether it was covered for thousands of years or not?
There is 25 years of research at that site. You have a selection of geoarchaeological surveys to choose from… These are just a few. That site is a hot bed for extensive palaeo work.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphinx_water_erosion_hypothesis
You can test the water idea with a simple borehole/palaeo core. It doesn’t fit the data.
(Italics added, because - what? I’ve never seen that)
Here’s another example of this type of argument from the larger article:
(Italics added) Whether it is or is not; the countervailing argument is “no, because we have no proof it is”. Well no proof is just that - no proof either way. Isn’t it? This theory of astronomical alignment is based on solid empirical facts, though it is just a theory. Saying, “no it can’t be because we haven’t found a book from the time period” is a weird argument to say it disproves it. At best it says it can’t prove it.
That’s not to say a core sample test isn’t a good indicator, or some of the other causes-for-erosion aren’t as-or-more likely in the case of dating the Sphinx structure. It’s just that the particular argument that “we haven’t dug up definitive proof” is - not a great argument to base an unchallengeable assertion on. At best one has to allow alternate theories which have not been empirically disproven are possible.
A borehole survey is pretty empirical, my dude. It’s basic geoarchaeology and used heavily in geoscience and engineering. Most responsibile construction projects use them and you know they’re not spending money on things that aren’t tried and true. It is how I hunt extinct rivers and other watercourses in other parts of the world. They don’t just go poof. Plus the palaeo record would show what lived in and around it.
Archaeology works backwards from the known to the unknown. We bring our own biases to science, so that’s why we have to build our case for theories brick by brick, to avoid those and check ourselves. He’s welcome to provide proof, but so far he hasn’t had any that fits the data. We welcome these ideas when there’s proof. Rivers with the ability to carve rock like that leave large footprints. Multiple people’s careers would be made if there was such evidence, but there isn’t. Large discoveries are good for archaeology and bring funding. Science with a capital S isn’t perfect, but the data disproves it, if anything.
What’s the borehole analysis of Gobekle Tepe?
Speaking of, since that site was recently uncovered, how does OSL work for it? Are there any qualifications to dating it with OSL or is it the same whether it was covered for thousands of years or not?
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/230220211_Soils_and_soil_sediments_at_Gobekli_Tepe_southeastern_Turkey_A_preliminary_report
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332606862_Gobekli_Tepe_A_Brief_Description_of_the_Environmental_Development_in_the_Surroundings_of_the_UNESCO_World_Heritage_Site
There is 25 years of research at that site. You have a selection of geoarchaeological surveys to choose from… These are just a few. That site is a hot bed for extensive palaeo work.
Same. Looks interesting tho.