Excavations of the Roman city of Sepphoris have uncovered numerous detailed mosaics depicting several readily identifiable animal species : a hare, a partridge, and various Mediterranean fish. Oddly, most of the species represented did not live in the Sepphoris region when these mosaics were created. Since identical motifs appear in mosaics found in other Roman cities, however, the mosaics of Sepphoris were very likely created by traveling artisans from some other part of the Roman Empire.
Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?
(A) The Sepphoris mosaics are not composed exclusively of types of stones found naturally in the Sepphoris area.
(B) There is no single region to which all the species depicted in the Sepphoris mosaics are native.
(C) No motifs appear in the Sepphoris mosaics that do not also appear in the mosaics of some other Roman city.
(D) All of the animal figures in the Sepphoris mosaics are readily identifiable as representations of known species.
(E) There was not a common repertory of mosaic designs with which artisans who lived in various parts of the Roman Empire were familiar.
Let’s look at the stimulus given.
Premises- Excavations of the Roman city of Sepphoris have uncovered numerous detailed mosaics depicting several readily identifiable animal species : a hare, a partridge, and various Mediterranean fish.
Oddly, most of the species represented did not live in the Sepphoris region when these mosaics were created
Since identical motifs appear in mosaics found in other Roman cities (reason)
Conclusion- the mosaics of Sepphoris were very likely created by traveling artisans from some other part of the Roman Empire.
We need to find the assumption of the argument.
Let’s take a look at the options.
(A) The Sepphoris mosaics are not composed exclusively of types of stones found naturally in the Sepphoris area.
The conclusion is that the mosaics of Sepphoris were very likely created by traveling artisans from some other part of the Roman Empire because these mosaics depict animals not found in the Sepphoris region but found in other parts of the Roman Empire.
Whether the mosaics were composed of stones found in the Sepphoris region or some other region is not relevant to the argument.
Eliminate.
(B) There is no single region to which all the species depicted in the Sepphoris mosaics are native.
Where the species belong is again out of scope. The conclusion is that these motifs were created by traveling artisans. We need to find an option that helps us confirm that.
Eliminate.
(C) No motifs appear in the Sepphoris mosaics that do not also appear in the mosaics of some other Roman city.
Same as B.
Eliminate(D) All of the animal figures in the Sepphoris mosaics are readily identifiable as representations of known species.
So? Does it prove that the motifs were created by traveling artisans?
Eliminate(E) There was not a common repertory of mosaic designs with which artisans who lived in various parts of the Roman Empire were familiar.
Bingo. Option E says that there was no common repertory of mosaic designs with which artisans who lived in various parts of the Roman Empire were familiar. This confirms that they would have seen/ come to know of these animals found in the designs when they travelled to other parts of the Roman Empire.
Correct.
VP
GMAT SME
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Crackverbal Prep Team
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