please explain

I think E is more appropriate. The passage states that the volcanoes had destroyed much of the ECOLOGY and the mountains. E strengthens it bys saying that the insects belonging to 890 BC were found but none from AFTER that period which indicates a clear, irrepairable damage to the ecosystem due to the volcano.

A sounds like a teaser to me. While coins after 890 BC were not found - it could be that the coins were not minted after that period at all.. we can't say for sure.

Also, I think there's a typo in E. It should be 890 BC and not 8900 BC..

Agree with you on that.

E will require a lot of assumption to be true.

Even if the insects were present in 890 BC we can't say no other fossils of the insects of a later period were found afterwards...whereas A clearly states that coins minted after 890 BC were not found.

Hi dwivedys...if the ranges were destroyed completely in 890 BC,then its logical that the coin production was stopped...this can't account for a reason other than the quake...Isn't it??

A should be the answer.

This is similar to a question in OG.

Excavation of the ancient city of Kourion on the island of Cyprus revealed a pattern of debris and collapsed
buildings typical of towns devastated by earthquakes. Archaeologists have hypothesized that the destruction
was due to a major earthquake known to have occurred near the island in A.D.365.
Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the archaeologists’ hypothesis?
(A) Bronze ceremonial drinking vessels that are often found in graves dating from years preceding and
following A.D.365 were also found in several graves near Kourion.
(B) No coins minted after A.D.365 were found in Kourion, but coins minted before that year were found in
abundance.
(C) Most modern histories of Cyprus mention that an earthquake occurred near the island in A.D.365.
(D) Several small statues carved in styles current in Cyprus in the century between A.D.300 and 400 were
found in Kourion.
(E) Stone inscriptions in a form of the Greek alphabet that was definitely used in Cyprus after A.D.365 were
found in Kourion.

May be you guys are right.. If I had known how to answer these kinds of questions I wouldn't have still been struggling with the GMAT...

I'll keep trying meanwhile ...

Thanks Vineet.. you are very kind. If we can't beat the GMAT, at least we can learn

Well, what you are missing is the fact that the argument (or archaeologists) have staked a claim that th volcano occurred in 890 BC and we are tyring to validate this fact; The fact that it was the volcano that brought about the destruction is not the issue here. Helps?

Vote: A

A tells us that there was civilization (minted coins) up until 890 and that there was no evidence of civilization (minted coins) after 890. That would suppport the hypothesis that the volcano erupted and destroyed the civilization / area.

I too choose A.

what if the coins were placed later?