Riddles are funny! BBC reports on the discovery at the Hathor Temple in southern Egypt of a small sphinx with an engaging grin that might have been modeled on the Emperor Claudius:
The limestone sphinx with its “smiley face and two dimples” is thought to represent Roman Emperor Claudius.
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The artefacts were found inside a two-level tomb in the temple of Dendera in Qena Province, 450km (280 miles) south of the capital of Cairo.
Emperor Claudius, whom archaeologists believe the statue’s smiling features may belong to, extended Roman rule into North Africa between 41 and 54 AD.
Emperor Claudius, whom archaeologists believe the statue’s smiling features may belong to, extended Roman rule into North Africa between 41 and 54 AD.
Archaeologists will study the markings on the stone slab, which could reveal more information on the statue’s identity, the ministry said.