Last visit was: 18 Nov 2025, 23:54 It is currently 18 Nov 2025, 23:54
Home
GMAT
Messages
Tests
Schools
Events
Rewards
Chat
My Profile
Close
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Go to My Error Log Learn more
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
Back to Forum
Create Topic
User avatar
Sajjad1994
User avatar
GRE Forum Moderator
Joined: 02 Nov 2016
Last visit: 18 Nov 2025
Posts: 17,289
Own Kudos:
49,297
 [21]
Given Kudos: 6,179
GPA: 3.62
Products:
GMAT Club Tests Forum Quiz
Posts: 17,289
Kudos: 49,297
 [21]
Archaeologist: There were several sandstone statues of a female figure 16 Jan 2024, 07:26
3
Kudos
Add Kudos
18
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
00:00
Start Timer
Pause Timer
Resume Timer
Show Answer
Hide Answer
Hide
Show
History
Assumption: The next statue to be recovered from the site will likely be a statue of the female figure made of sandstone. Possible fact: All other artifacts recovered from the archaeological site were statues made from sandstone
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!

Difficulty:

95% (hard)

Question Stats:

28% (02:20) correct 72% (02:43) wrong based on 894 sessions

History

Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
Data Insights (DI) Butler 2023-24 [Question #200, Date: Jan-16-2024] [Click here for Details]

Archaeologist: There were several sandstone statues of a female figure excavated from an archaeological site of an ancient Mayan city dating back to 1300 BC. After several detailed studies on the shapes of these statues and the methods most likely employed to make them, the statues were divided into four categories exotic and minutely detailed statues of the female figure sculpted by the upper class men of the time, statues of the female figure in humble clothing sculpted by the lower class men of the time, statues of the female face with various expressions sculpted by the women of the time, and minimalistic statues of the female figure sculpted by the kids of the time. Owing to this knowledge, we will be able to determine, on the basis of how the statue is modelled, which section of the ancient society sculpted the next statue that we recover from the archaeological site.

Indicate two different statements as follows: one statement identifying an assumption required for the archaeologist’s argument and the other identifying a possible fact that, if true, would provide significant logical support for the required assumption.
Assumption Possible fact
The next statue to be recovered from the site will be a statue of the female figure sculpted by the women of the time.
Sandstone was the only material used for sculpting.
All other artifacts recovered from the archaeological site were statues made from sandstone
Some of the statues were sculpted by the kids of the upper class as well.
There was a considerable overlap of the different themes employed by the different sections of the ancient society in sculpting female figures on sandstone.
The next statue to be recovered from the site will likely be a statue of the female figure made of sandstone.
Submit Answer
Start the Timer above, select the radio buttons, and click "Submit" to add this question to your Error log.
ShowHide Answer
Official Answer
Assumption: The next statue to be recovered from the site will likely be a statue of the female figure made of sandstone. Possible fact: All other artifacts recovered from the archaeological site were statues made from sandstone
Most Helpful Reply
User avatar
Dream009
User avatar
Joined: 05 Nov 2024
Last visit: 31 Oct 2025
Posts: 200
Own Kudos:
50
 [5]
Given Kudos: 54
Location: India
Concentration: Strategy, Leadership
GPA: 84
WE:General Management (Consulting)
Products:
My Reviews
Posts: 200
Kudos: 50
 [5]
Archaeologist: There were several sandstone statues of a female figure 20 Dec 2024, 21:20
5
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
What makes this less of a fact: Sandstone was the only material used for sculpting. and this more of a fact?All other artifacts recovered from the archaeological site were statues made from sandstone
User avatar
jamesbond123321
User avatar
Joined: 01 Aug 2024
Last visit: 03 Nov 2025
Posts: 1
Own Kudos:
5
 [5]
Given Kudos: 5
Posts: 1
Kudos: 5
 [5]
Archaeologist: There were several sandstone statues of a female figure 24 Dec 2024, 11:51
5
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
I think B is a better answer because it applies to the next statues to be recovered. C talks about artifacts those are already recovered. The given info talks about next statue to be recovered
Dream009
What makes this less of a fact: Sandstone was the only material used for sculpting. and this more of a fact?All other artifacts recovered from the archaeological site were statues made from sandstone
Show more
General Discussion
User avatar
Ba6a6a
User avatar
Joined: 27 Dec 2023
Last visit: 02 Nov 2025
Posts: 1
Own Kudos:
1
 [1]
Given Kudos: 1
Posts: 1
Kudos: 1
 [1]
Archaeologist: There were several sandstone statues of a female figure 16 Jan 2024, 15:57
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
A
C

Posted from my mobile device
User avatar
Jyotwa
User avatar
Joined: 12 Feb 2024
Last visit: 15 Nov 2025
Posts: 9
Given Kudos: 2
Location: India
Posts: 9
Kudos: 0
Archaeologist: There were several sandstone statues of a female figure 03 Apr 2024, 07:37
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
hey sajjad plz provide explanation for this solution
User avatar
Sajjad1994
User avatar
GRE Forum Moderator
Joined: 02 Nov 2016
Last visit: 18 Nov 2025
Posts: 17,289
Own Kudos:
49,297
 [3]
Given Kudos: 6,179
GPA: 3.62
Products:
GMAT Club Tests Forum Quiz
Posts: 17,289
Kudos: 49,297
 [3]
Archaeologist: There were several sandstone statues of a female figure 03 Apr 2024, 12:35
3
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Official Explanation

­An assumption would be a proposition that must necessarily be true for the conclusion. Also, negating the assumption should make it impossible for the conclusion to hold.

Let’s evaluate each of the answer choices.

A. The conclusion says that how the next-to-be-recovered statue is modeled will help determine which section sculpted it. So, a statement that says this statue will be one sculpted by the women of that time cannot possibly be an assumption.

B. It is sandstone statues that are discussed in the argument. Whether or not materials other than sandstone were used for sculpting is not really relevant to the argument.

C. Whether "All other artifacts" were statues made from sandstone is not important for the conclusion to be drawn and so cannot be an assumption.

D. The argument presents no distinction of class among the kids. And this is not required to be assumed - its being true or false does not determine whether the conclusion can be drawn.

E. Even if there was no overlap, it would be possible to determine which section sculpted the statue. This does not have to be true so cannot be an assumption.

F. Yes. This has to be true for the argument to hold and thus, qualifies as a fair assumption. Unless the statue is of a female figure made of sandstone, none of the techniques mentioned in the passage can be employed. Also, if we remove this assumption, we are not sure what type of statue the next statue would be and we cannot employ the already learnt knowledge about female statues on sandstone. In that case, the conclusion that we will be able to determine which section of the ancient society sculpted the next statue cannot hold true.

Hence, for the Assumption column, F is the correct answer choice.

Now that we have found the assumption, which of the remaining answer choices is a fact that would provide significant logical support for the required assumption? Clearly, C, All other artifacts recovered from the archaeological site were statues made from sandstone, is a supporting fact.

Hence, for the Possible fact column, C is the correct answer choice.­
User avatar
Vanshikakataruka
User avatar
Joined: 01 Mar 2021
Last visit: 03 Jan 2025
Posts: 22
Own Kudos:
30
 [1]
Given Kudos: 9
Location: India
Posts: 22
Kudos: 30
 [1]
Archaeologist: There were several sandstone statues of a female figure 01 Jun 2024, 12:10
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Sajjad1994
Official Explanation

­An assumption would be a proposition that must necessarily be true for the conclusion. Also, negating the assumption should make it impossible for the conclusion to hold.

Let’s evaluate each of the answer choices.

A. The conclusion says that how the next-to-be-recovered statue is modeled will help determine which section sculpted it. So, a statement that says this statue will be one sculpted by the women of that time cannot possibly be an assumption.

B. It is sandstone statues that are discussed in the argument. Whether or not materials other than sandstone were used for sculpting is not really relevant to the argument.

C. Whether "All other artifacts" were statues made from sandstone is not important for the conclusion to be drawn and so cannot be an assumption.

D. The argument presents no distinction of class among the kids. And this is not required to be assumed - its being true or false does not determine whether the conclusion can be drawn.

E. Even if there was no overlap, it would be possible to determine which section sculpted the statue. This does not have to be true so cannot be an assumption.

F. Yes. This has to be true for the argument to hold and thus, qualifies as a fair assumption. Unless the statue is of a female figure made of sandstone, none of the techniques mentioned in the passage can be employed. Also, if we remove this assumption, we are not sure what type of statue the next statue would be and we cannot employ the already learnt knowledge about female statues on sandstone. In that case, the conclusion that we will be able to determine which section of the ancient society sculpted the next statue cannot hold true.

Hence, for the Assumption column, F is the correct answer choice.

Now that we have found the assumption, which of the remaining answer choices is a fact that would provide significant logical support for the required assumption? Clearly, C, All other artifacts recovered from the archaeological site were statues made from sandstone, is a supporting fact.

Hence, for the Possible fact column, C is the correct answer choice.­
Show more
­for the possible fact, why cant B be an answer?
avatar
illegallyblonde
avatar
Joined: 12 Feb 2024
Last visit: 19 Oct 2024
Posts: 57
Own Kudos:
308
Given Kudos: 53
Posts: 57
Kudos: 308
Archaeologist: There were several sandstone statues of a female figure 16 Jun 2024, 08:48
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Vanshikakataruka

Sajjad1994
Official Explanation

­An assumption would be a proposition that must necessarily be true for the conclusion. Also, negating the assumption should make it impossible for the conclusion to hold.

Let’s evaluate each of the answer choices.

A. The conclusion says that how the next-to-be-recovered statue is modeled will help determine which section sculpted it. So, a statement that says this statue will be one sculpted by the women of that time cannot possibly be an assumption.

B. It is sandstone statues that are discussed in the argument. Whether or not materials other than sandstone were used for sculpting is not really relevant to the argument.

C. Whether "All other artifacts" were statues made from sandstone is not important for the conclusion to be drawn and so cannot be an assumption.

D. The argument presents no distinction of class among the kids. And this is not required to be assumed - its being true or false does not determine whether the conclusion can be drawn.

E. Even if there was no overlap, it would be possible to determine which section sculpted the statue. This does not have to be true so cannot be an assumption.

F. Yes. This has to be true for the argument to hold and thus, qualifies as a fair assumption. Unless the statue is of a female figure made of sandstone, none of the techniques mentioned in the passage can be employed. Also, if we remove this assumption, we are not sure what type of statue the next statue would be and we cannot employ the already learnt knowledge about female statues on sandstone. In that case, the conclusion that we will be able to determine which section of the ancient society sculpted the next statue cannot hold true.

Hence, for the Assumption column, F is the correct answer choice.

Now that we have found the assumption, which of the remaining answer choices is a fact that would provide significant logical support for the required assumption? Clearly, C, All other artifacts recovered from the archaeological site were statues made from sandstone, is a supporting fact.

Hence, for the Possible fact column, C is the correct answer choice.­
­for the possible fact, why cant B be an answer?
Show more
­ I have the same question. 
User avatar
abdatta
User avatar
Joined: 19 May 2024
Last visit: 15 Apr 2025
Posts: 37
Own Kudos:
35
 [2]
Given Kudos: 21
GMAT Focus 1: 715 Q90 V85 DI82
GMAT Focus 1: 715 Q90 V85 DI82
Posts: 37
Kudos: 35
 [2]
Archaeologist: There were several sandstone statues of a female figure 22 Jun 2024, 02:09
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
ellewoods2
Vanshikakataruka

Sajjad1994
Official Explanation

­An assumption would be a proposition that must necessarily be true for the conclusion. Also, negating the assumption should make it impossible for the conclusion to hold.

Let’s evaluate each of the answer choices.

A. The conclusion says that how the next-to-be-recovered statue is modeled will help determine which section sculpted it. So, a statement that says this statue will be one sculpted by the women of that time cannot possibly be an assumption.

B. It is sandstone statues that are discussed in the argument. Whether or not materials other than sandstone were used for sculpting is not really relevant to the argument.

C. Whether "All other artifacts" were statues made from sandstone is not important for the conclusion to be drawn and so cannot be an assumption.

D. The argument presents no distinction of class among the kids. And this is not required to be assumed - its being true or false does not determine whether the conclusion can be drawn.

E. Even if there was no overlap, it would be possible to determine which section sculpted the statue. This does not have to be true so cannot be an assumption.

F. Yes. This has to be true for the argument to hold and thus, qualifies as a fair assumption. Unless the statue is of a female figure made of sandstone, none of the techniques mentioned in the passage can be employed. Also, if we remove this assumption, we are not sure what type of statue the next statue would be and we cannot employ the already learnt knowledge about female statues on sandstone. In that case, the conclusion that we will be able to determine which section of the ancient society sculpted the next statue cannot hold true.

Hence, for the Assumption column, F is the correct answer choice.

Now that we have found the assumption, which of the remaining answer choices is a fact that would provide significant logical support for the required assumption? Clearly, C, All other artifacts recovered from the archaeological site were statues made from sandstone, is a supporting fact.

Hence, for the Possible fact column, C is the correct answer choice.­
­for the possible fact, why cant B be an answer?
­ I have the same question. 
Show more

Same question. B can also be a possible fact. This is not like an official GMAT question.

Posted from my mobile device
User avatar
iampkd
User avatar
Joined: 06 Oct 2024
Last visit: 16 Jan 2025
Posts: 1
Own Kudos:
3
 [3]
Given Kudos: 2
Posts: 1
Kudos: 3
 [3]
Archaeologist: There were several sandstone statues of a female figure 25 Dec 2024, 00:28
3
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Even I thought the same, still in doubt how C could be the correct answer?
jamesbond123321
I think B is a better answer because it applies to the next statues to be recovered. C talks about artifacts those are already recovered. The given info talks about next statue to be recovered
Dream009
What makes this less of a fact: Sandstone was the only material used for sculpting. and this more of a fact?All other artifacts recovered from the archaeological site were statues made from sandstone
Show more
User avatar
vaishnavi454
User avatar
Joined: 18 Feb 2025
Last visit: 30 Sep 2025
Posts: 2
Given Kudos: 4
Posts: 2
Kudos: 0
Archaeologist: There were several sandstone statues of a female figure 27 May 2025, 03:40
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Option B is too extreme as it states that ONLY sandstone is used as a material. This is not the language of the passage so we can't assume that.
User avatar
CorporateAsset
User avatar
Joined: 25 Aug 2024
Last visit: 23 Jul 2025
Posts: 48
Own Kudos:
32
Given Kudos: 255
Location: India
Concentration: Entrepreneurship, Strategy
GPA: 4
Products:
My Reviews
Posts: 48
Kudos: 32
Archaeologist: There were several sandstone statues of a female figure 18 Jun 2025, 03:57
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
✳️ ASSUMPTION: Which one is NECESSARY?
"The next statue to be recovered from the site will be a statue of the female figure sculpted by the women of the time."

❌ Too specific. This is not a necessary assumption, but rather a possible conclusion in one case.

"Sandstone was the only material used for sculpting."

❌ Not required. Even if there were other materials, the analysis might still apply as long as the new statue is sandstone.

"All other artifacts recovered from the archaeological site were statues made from sandstone."

❌ Too broad. Doesn’t relate directly to whether the next statue will be sandstone.

"Some of the statues were sculpted by the kids of the upper class as well."

❌ This contradicts the original classification. It undermines the theory by showing overlap.

"There was a considerable overlap of the different themes employed by the different sections of the ancient society in sculpting female figures on sandstone."

❌ This weakens the argument! If themes overlap, you can't confidently identify the sculptor.

✅ "The next statue to be recovered from the site will likely be a statue of the female figure made of sandstone."

✔️ YES! If the new statue is not sandstone or not of a female figure, the classification won’t apply. So this is a required assumption. ✳️ POSSIBLE FACT: Which one supports the assumption?
The assumption is:

“The next statue will likely be a female figure made of sandstone.”

So what fact supports this?

✅ "All other artifacts recovered from the archaeological site were statues made from sandstone."

✔️ YES! If all previous artifacts are sandstone statues, it's logical to expect the next one to be the same. So this supports the assumption well.
User avatar
Mohak01
User avatar
Joined: 05 Sep 2020
Last visit: 18 Nov 2025
Posts: 104
Own Kudos:
64
Given Kudos: 70
Location: India
Schools: ISB '26 NUS '26 (A)
GMAT Focus 1: 695 Q83 V87 DI83
GPA: 8
Schools: ISB '26 NUS '26 (A)
GMAT Focus 1: 695 Q83 V87 DI83
Posts: 104
Kudos: 64
Archaeologist: There were several sandstone statues of a female figure 18 Jun 2025, 05:05
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
It was real tough to select between option B and option C as a fact supporting the assumption. I choose B as in my opinion it strongly supports the selected assumption. Option C do support the premise that how there could be only 4 possible categories, but do not fully support future outcome as mentioned in argument.

Please assist where I went wrong.

Bunuel, bb, Sajjad1994
User avatar
bb
User avatar
Founder
Joined: 04 Dec 2002
Last visit: 18 Nov 2025
Posts: 42,384
Own Kudos:
82,112
Given Kudos: 24,107
Location: United States
GMAT 1: 750 Q49 V42
GPA: 3
Products:
GMAT Club Tests Forum Quiz
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
GMAT 1: 750 Q49 V42
Posts: 42,384
Kudos: 82,112
Archaeologist: There were several sandstone statues of a female figure 18 Jun 2025, 17:05
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Mohak01
It was real tough to select between option B and option C as a fact supporting the assumption. I choose B as in my opinion it strongly supports the selected assumption. Option C do support the premise that how there could be only 4 possible categories, but do not fully support future outcome as mentioned in argument.

Please assist where I went wrong.

Bunuel, bb, Sajjad1994
Show more


Hi.

All other artifacts recovered from the archaeological site were statues made from sandstone. (Statement 3)

This statement would indicate that every artifact found so far at the site has been a sandstone statue makes it much more likely that the next recovered piece will also be a sandstone statue (and, given the prior finds, a female-figure one), thereby bolstering the assumption that the archaeologist’s argument relies on.

If we just say that it is sandstone, we lose the statue piece and that makes the support weaker.

Does it make sense?
User avatar
GMAT2point0
User avatar
Joined: 07 May 2025
Last visit: 18 Nov 2025
Posts: 31
Own Kudos:
12
 [2]
Given Kudos: 96
Posts: 31
Kudos: 12
 [2]
Archaeologist: There were several sandstone statues of a female figure 19 Jun 2025, 08:23
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hey bb

I didn't understand what you meant by 'we will lose the statue piece' if we say that it is made of sandstone.

Could you please clarify? Thanks!
bb
Mohak01
It was real tough to select between option B and option C as a fact supporting the assumption. I choose B as in my opinion it strongly supports the selected assumption. Option C do support the premise that how there could be only 4 possible categories, but do not fully support future outcome as mentioned in argument.

Please assist where I went wrong.

Bunuel, bb, Sajjad1994


Hi.

All other artifacts recovered from the archaeological site were statues made from sandstone. (Statement 3)

This statement would indicate that every artifact found so far at the site has been a sandstone statue makes it much more likely that the next recovered piece will also be a sandstone statue (and, given the prior finds, a female-figure one), thereby bolstering the assumption that the archaeologist’s argument relies on.

If we just say that it is sandstone, we lose the statue piece and that makes the support weaker.

Does it make sense?
Show more
User avatar
cheshire
User avatar
DI Forum Moderator
Joined: 26 Jun 2025
Last visit: 18 Sep 2025
Posts: 271
Own Kudos:
256
 [1]
Given Kudos: 34
Posts: 271
Kudos: 256
 [1]
Archaeologist: There were several sandstone statues of a female figure 27 Jun 2025, 15:55
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hi, I can clarify

If we assume only that the material is sandstone, and not that the artifact is a statue, we lose the connection needed to apply the social-group categorization system.

In the question the archaeologist’s logic depends on both:
1) It must be a statue, and
2) It must be made of sandstone.

So, just assuming sandstone (without confirming it’s a statue) makes the support weaker because then we can’t analyze the style to infer who sculpted it (upper class, women, etc.).

This is why Statement 3, which confirms both material and artifact type, is the stronger support for the required assumption.
GMAT2point0
Hey bb

I didn't understand what you meant by 'we will lose the statue piece' if we say that it is made of sandstone.

Could you please clarify? Thanks!
bb
Mohak01
It was real tough to select between option B and option C as a fact supporting the assumption. I choose B as in my opinion it strongly supports the selected assumption. Option C do support the premise that how there could be only 4 possible categories, but do not fully support future outcome as mentioned in argument.

Please assist where I went wrong.

Bunuel, bb, Sajjad1994


Hi.

All other artifacts recovered from the archaeological site were statues made from sandstone. (Statement 3)

This statement would indicate that every artifact found so far at the site has been a sandstone statue makes it much more likely that the next recovered piece will also be a sandstone statue (and, given the prior finds, a female-figure one), thereby bolstering the assumption that the archaeologist’s argument relies on.

If we just say that it is sandstone, we lose the statue piece and that makes the support weaker.

Does it make sense?
Show more
User avatar
suhaanimanektala
User avatar
Joined: 11 Jan 2025
Last visit: 26 Jul 2025
Posts: 5
Own Kudos:
3
Given Kudos: 5
Posts: 5
Kudos: 3
Archaeologist: There were several sandstone statues of a female figure 06 Jul 2025, 01:59
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
cheshire why will we not consider option a for the possible fact? do we not need to include the constraint that it has to be a statue of a female figure since thats mainly what the passage talks about and bases the prediction upon?
User avatar
cheshire
User avatar
DI Forum Moderator
Joined: 26 Jun 2025
Last visit: 18 Sep 2025
Posts: 271
Own Kudos:
256
 [2]
Given Kudos: 34
Posts: 271
Kudos: 256
 [2]
Archaeologist: There were several sandstone statues of a female figure 06 Jul 2025, 06:44
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Option A essentially restates the conclusion rather than supplying any new background fact to support the assumption behind it.

Remember:
  • The required assumption we picked was that “the next statue will likely be made of sandstone.”
  • A possible fact needs to lend support to that sandstone assumption, not simply re-assert which social group made the next female-figure statue.

Since (A) doesn’t address the material (sandstone) at all, it doesn’t help explain why we’d expect sandstone again. Instead, it just repeats who sculpted it, something already built into the archaeologist’s conclusion.

suhaanimanektala
cheshire why will we not consider option a for the possible fact? do we not need to include the constraint that it has to be a statue of a female figure since thats mainly what the passage talks about and bases the prediction upon?
Show more
Moderators:
Bunuel
Math Expert
105378 posts
kingbucky
496 posts