A split between two researchers behind last year’s Giza discovery has erupted into a public row over claims of a hidden second Sphinx.
Radar engineer Filippo Biondi stunned the world last week when he announced on the Matt Beall Limitless podcast that satellite radar scans had revealed what he believes is a mirror image of the Great Sphinx buried beneath Egypt‘s Giza Plateau.
But now his former colleague, Egyptologist Armando Mei, who previously worked alongside Biondi on research into underground structures at Giza, has rejected the claim, exposing a deep divide between the once-aligned researchers.
‘From both a personal and scientific standpoint, I do not believe that a second Sphinx exists on the Giza Plateau,’ Mei told the Daily Mail.
He said this conclusion was based on multiple lines of analysis, including archaeological, geometric, geological and tomographic evidence, which he argued do not support the existence of a second monument.
The dispute marked a dramatic turn between the two men, who were previously part of the Khafre Research Project that announced in March 2025 the discovery of massive shafts and chambers beneath the pyramids and the Great Sphinx.
Biondi, however, has insisted that his analysis of ancient imagery and geometric symmetry points to what he believes is a hidden twin monument beneath the plateau.
‘We have recently gathered some extremely satisfying experimental results that offer a different perspective,’ he told the Daily Mail, adding that final results will be presented at a conference in Bologna on June 21.
Filippo Biondi shared preliminary scans last week, claiming to have captured a structure that mirrors the Great Sphinx
Biondi believes an ancient stele shows that there were two sphinx statues constructed in Egypt
Biondi has also pushed back against online critics who have challenged his findings, saying recent comparisons made using Google Earth imagery lacked the scientific rigor required for professional aerial analysis.
Despite the ongoing debate, Biondi expressed respect for leading Egyptologist Dr Zahi Hawass, who has previously dismissed the claims.
‘I want to express my deepest and most sincere respect for him and his immensely important academic standing,’ Biondi said.
Mei, however, has described the second Sphinx claim as unsupported and inaccurate.
‘Speculative announcements are altering the nature of the research and are placing what remains of the team in a position of opposition, rather than convergence, with the Egyptian authorities,’ he said.
Mei told the Daily Mail that he stepped away from the Khafre Research Project, which included Biondi and Corrado Malanga, in January after not receiving updates on the project’s developments since June 2025.
He noted that the reasons he was left in the dark were never clearly explained.
Biondi told the Daily Mail: ‘It is true that he has stepped away from the Khafre Research Project to pursue other professional opportunities.
Filippo Biondi (left) announced he detected a second sphinx beneath the Giza Plateau. However, his former colleague Armando Mei has dismissed the claims
The scans identified the second sphinx where A is shown, sitting adjacent to the Great Sphinx shown as B
‘However, we remain in close contact and maintain a friendly relationship.’
The two researchers have worked together for years, with Mei joining the Khafre Research Project around late 2022.
Their partnership centered on applying Biondi’s synthetic aperture radar (SAR)/Doppler tomography techniques to Giza archaeology, with Mei contributing deep knowledge of Egyptian history and prior explorations.
When asked if the 2025 discovery was accurate, Mei said: ‘Below the pyramids, yes, the data are consistent, as four independent groups of satellites have produced comparable results.
‘However, regarding the alleged second Sphinx, the interpretation is entirely unsupported and inaccurate.’
Biondi has largely based his claim on what is shown in the Dream Stele, an inscribed granite slab erected between the paws of the Great Sphinx of Giza by Pharaoh Thutmose IV around 1401 BC.
The granite slab features two sphinx carvings, one facing west and the other east.
Using the Dream Stele as a guide, Biondi said he drew geometric lines from the center of Khafre’s pyramid to the existing Sphinx, then repeated the same measurements from the neighboring pyramid to identify a mirrored location on the plateau.
According to Biondi, the distances and angles matched in what he described as near-perfect symmetry, with the same geometric relationships that lead to the known Sphinx also pointing to a second location.
Biondi is sure the second sphinx is below a small mound lying on the surface
He argued that this repeated pattern of matching distances forms what he called ‘precise geometrical correlation,’ which his team believes supports the possibility of a second buried monument.
Mei disputed that interpretation, saying: ‘We are not dealing with a descriptive representation of physical reality, but with a symbolic-conceptual construction.’
He added that the same pattern of two sphinxes appears in other ancient Egyptian scriptures, notably inside the Tomb of Ramses VI.
According to Mei, duplication in ancient Egyptian art was commonly used to reinforce symbolic meaning, representing dual concepts such as life and death, rebirth, or east and west, rather than depicting multiple physical monuments.
However, Biondi is sure the second sphinx is below a small mound lying on the surface.
‘That small mountain has a height of approximately 108 feet,’ he explained. ‘The first Sphinx sits slightly below the surrounding surface, in a shallow depression, so it is possible the second Sphinx could be hidden beneath this higher mound.’
This places the hidden sphinx at the back of the Pyramid of Khufu and adjacent to the Pyramid of Khafre, which aligns with the Great Sphinx.
Scans of the Great Sphinx also appeared to capture a network of shafts and chambers beneath the monument, features he now believes are mirrored beneath the suspected second structure
Mei explained that if a second sphinx truly existed, it would have to sit directly opposite the known monument and be aligned with the carefully planned layout of the Giza complex.
A true counterpart, he added, would need to connect logically with Khafre’s pyramid and its surrounding temples and causeways, which were built along strict and measurable lines.
However, Mei argued that the locations proposed by Biondi do not match the established layout of Giza and appear to fall outside the known architectural system.
Mei said the lines used in the team’s model seem to be drawn after selecting arbitrary points on the plateau, rather than following real structures or known alignments.
He also pointed to the geology of the Giza Plateau, which is composed of layered limestone known as calcarenite, a rock that naturally forms cavities, ridges and irregular shapes through erosion that can appear artificial to the eye.
According to Mei, the mound identified as the possible second Sphinx site fits known natural geological patterns and shows no visible signs of carving, cutting or architectural shaping that would suggest human construction.
At Giza, geometry is not freely applied but shaped by the site’s architecture and layout. When a theory fails to match that framework, Mei argued, it suggests patterns are being forced onto the landscape rather than revealing hidden structures.
Despite the criticism, Biondi said the research is still ongoing and that new findings will soon be revealed.
However, he also revealed that the upcoming presentation may mark the end of his involvement in Giza research altogether.
‘After the June 21st event, I plan to conclude my studies on the Giza Plateau for good,’ Biondi said, citing growing competition and criticism surrounding the project.
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