The Human-lion Figure Older Than the Sphinx

An Ice Age mystery

The lion-man is a pre-historic human-lion figure which is over 35,000 years old. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

When we think of a sphinx, the first thing that comes to mind is the Great Sphinx of Giza, Egypt. The mythical creature is one of the most fascinating figures in human civilization. In Egyptian and Greek folklore, it is a human-lion hybrid with supernatural powers.

But there were many other human-lion figures in the ancient world.

The Greeks, the Hittites, the Persians, and the Indians all had their versions of humans with lion’s bodies. But have you wondered what does the Sphinx stand for? Why was it so popular in ancient times? Was it the first attempt by humans to imagine hybridization and genetic engineering? Or was there any religious significance to it?

While it is impossible to determine the Sphinx's actual meaning, we may have a hint if we go back in time and look at the first human-lion figure we have unearthed.

How far back in time must we go?

At least 35,000 years ago! Th…