Joseph Conklin, age 9, of Gadsden, Ala., for his question:

HOW LARGE IS THE GREAT SPHINX?

Standing near the great pyramids at Giza in Egypt is the Great Sphinx, one of the most famous monuments in the world. Its head and body were carved from solid rock and the paws and legs are built of stone blocks.

The Great Sphinx is 240 feet long and about 66 feet high. The width of its face measures 13 feet eight inches. Unfortunately, the head has been used as a gunnery target and desert sands have worn away parts of    the stone.

The face is believed to be a portrait of the Egyptian king who built it. No one knows exactly which king built the Sphinx, however. The figure itself is an imaginary creature of ancient myths.

Sand covers the base of the Sphinx, and buries it most of the time. The sand was cleared away in the 1400s B.C. and again during Roman times. The sand was cleared away again in 1818, 1886 and 1926.