October 8, 2018

Long-Buried Sphinx Head Unveiled at Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center Gala

072318-Guadalupe-Dunes-Sphinx-Head-reveal-trib-2Movie fans and history buffs got a glimpse of a rare Hollywood relic Saturday at the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center: a giant sphinx head.

The Dunes Center showed off its latest finds from the long-buried set of Cecil B. DeMille’s silent movie masterpiece The Ten Commandments at Saturday’s Sphinx and Drinks gala.

Archeologists excavated the artifacts from the sands of the Guadalupe Nipomo Dunes, which encompass an 18-mile stretch of coastline in southern San Luis Obispo and northern Santa Barbara counties, in October and November 2017.

Among the treasures unearthed was a 10-foot-tall piece of a plaster sphinx featured in The Ten Commandments.

The Egyptian-style set of DeMille’s 1923 movie, designed by Art Deco designer Paul Iribe, featured 21 five-ton sphinxes, four 35-foot-tall statues of Ramses II and temple gates that stood more than 12 stories tall and 800 feet wide.

https://www.noozhawk.com/article/long_buried_sphinx_head_unveiled_at_guadalupe_nipomo_dunes_center

Upcoming Events

Newsletter

Our newsletter keeps you up to date with the latest information about our exhibits, upcoming events, and programs.

© Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center. All rights reserved.