Archaeologists have discovered various paintings on the walls and ceil

Question

Archaeologists have discovered various paintings on the walls and ceiling of a Chinese cave whose entrance was blocked by a volcanic eruption in the 25th century B.C. and only recently cleared by an earthquake. Since the paintings depict warriors using Type C bronze weapons, these archaeologists have concluded that Type C bronze weapons were already widely used in this area by 2500 B.C., far earlier than was previously believed.

Which of the following pieces of additional evidence would most seriously weaken the archaeologists’ conclusion?

(A) Another entrance to the cave remained clear until a second volcanic eruption 1,000 years after the first.

(B) Archaeologists have evidence that Type C bronze weapons were in wide use in areas of present-day India as early as 2500 B.C.

(C) Alternative methods of dating place the time of the volcanic eruption somewhat earlier, at around 3000 B.C.

(D) Most experts believe that Type C bronze weapons were not in use anywhere in present-day China until 2000 B.C.

(E) The paintings were very faded when the archaeologists found them, making identification of the depicted weapons difficult.

RGM · Answer

I believe it's A? Provides a possible reason for the cave to be painted after the 2500 BC period?

gauravnagpal · Answer

clearly we need to choose from A and E . E rejected because it says the process of identification of paintings was difficlut and it does not say that whether the painting is inconclusive...

windofchange · Answer

The conclusion is:  Type C bronze weapons were already widely used in this area by 2500 B.C., far earlier than was previously believed .

Choice E focuses on the identification of the depicted weapons, thus it is irrelevant to the conclusion.

Chembeti · Answer

Here conclusion can be weakened in 2 ways: either by proving the time of painting or by proving the type of weapon.

E is still relevant for the following reason but not superior to A:

As per E: because it was not easy to identify the paintings, archaeologists got confused the images with C type bronze. Possibility of weapons being type C bronze can't be ruled out.

As per A: those paintings could have been done any where between 2500 BC and 1000 BC. Here also, possibility of time of painting can't be ruled out.

Given both possibilities we can go for A because its probability is high (in E it is not clear to what extent those paintings were faded).

rajeevrks27 · Answer

+ 1 A
E would have been right if it had mentioned that the paintings were so faded that archaeologists had no other option but to guess to reach to their conclusion.....

ajit_223 · Answer

Premise - Paintings was not accessible after 25th BC and depicts warriors using Type C bronze weapons
Conclusion - bronze weapons were already widely used in this area by 2500 B.C

A - Cave was accessible, so painting could have been made afterwards.
E- Disputes the premise. Premise clearly says it was a bronze weapon. We can't dispute premise, hence wrong.

mk96 · Answer

I dont understand why :
volcanic eruption 1,000 years  after the first.

What is first? Is it the eruption that is being discussed in the argument? Is that the first? But it is no write anywhere.

Archaeologists have discovered various paintings on the walls and ceil

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Archaeologists have discovered various paintings on the walls and ceil

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615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

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