This did not stop Caviglia. He later dug an area in the front of the Sphinx exposing it's legs as well as discovering the pink granite stela of Tuthmosis IV, still standing today. These finds were enough to inspire more excavations still led by Caviglia. While digging farther to the east, Caviglia discovered the access structure that had been a path leading to the sanctuary during its last days of use, sometime around the first two centuries CE. .
After the initial excavations the site began to again be covered by the sands. Richard Lepsius led an excavation where he again cleared the leg area of the Sphinx, as well as re-uncovering the stela of Tuthmosis IV. In 1853 and 1858, Auguste Mariette completely uncovered the Sphinx from its sandy tomb. He discovered many artifacts, as well as part of a wall surrounding the Sphinx, most likely used as protection from the sands which still threaten to bury it. Mariette helped create the Antiquities Service and was place as its director. In 1885, however, Gaston Maspero succeeded Mariette. Maspero's concern was more about uncovering the Sphinx once again, and turning into another great monument for the tourists of Egypt to see. No records of these excavations have been found, though seeing how close together they are gives us a better idea of just how long it would take the sands of the Sahara to bury this monument. The Sphinx could be covered in as little as thirty to forty years, which is much less than scientists previously approximated. Discovered in ancient texts and archaeological remains show that during the Sphinx's period of usage, there would have to have been measures taken to keep it free the sand threatening to engulf it. .
By the turn of the century the Sphinx was already becoming buried again, and no excavations took place on it until the Antiquities Service decided to again uncover it with the help of Émile Baraize and Pierre Lacau, from 1925 until 1936, and later by Selim Hassan of the Cairo University.