Metal rings recently excavated from seventh-century settlements in the

Hi,

My reason of doubting Option A : Whether metal objects were traded from Ecuador to western Mexico during the seventh century.

Conclusion - metallurgical techniques used to make the rings found in Mexico were learned by Mexican artisans from Ecuadorian counterparts


Lets say YES, metal objects were traded from Ecuador to western Mexico during the seventh century - This can strengthen the conclusion because this establishes the reason that there was actually trade (or cultural contact) between the people of these two places in the seventh century, hence people in western Mexico might have learnt the metallurgical techniques from their Ecuadorian counterparts. This option can also weaken the conclusion as explained in your post.


Now, lets say NO metal objects were not traded from Ecuador to western Mexico during the seventh century - This again neither strengthens nor weakens the conclusion because objects could have been traded from Western Mexico to Ecuador. This doesn't say anything to establish or negate the presence of trade (or cultural contact) between them.


I cannot reason why Option A is the correct answer.

Regards,
Kaushal

What does the argument say? It says that two regions use same metallurgical technique (Mexico and Ecuador). But the technique is complex, hence only one of them could have invented it, and one would have shown the other. From this, author concluded that people in mexico learnt the technique from Ecuadorian people.

You should focus only on this part when evaluating the options- author concluded that "people in mexico learnt the technique from Ecuadorian people."


(A) Whether metal objects were traded from Ecuador to western Mexico during the seventh century?

Suppose that metal object were traded, does this info help us reject or accept the author's conclusion? Yes, it does. How? If the metals objects were traded then it is possible that Mexican folks didn't need to learn the technique at all. They could have just bought the objects.

(B) Whether travel between western Mexico and Ecuador in the seventh century would have been primarily by land or by sea

Suppose that travel was by Sea, does this info help us reject or accept the author's conclusion? No, it doesn't. We don't care what was the means of travel. Our concern is was the technique learnt or not.


(C) Whether artisans from western Mexico could have learned complex metallurgical techniques from their Ecuadorian counterparts without actually leaving western Mexico.

Suppose that Mexican didn't need to leave West Mexico, does this info help us reject or accept the author's conclusion? No, it doesn't. We don't care if they needed to leave or not. It is possible that Ecuadorians came to mexico and taught them or it could be the other way around. But this info doesn't help us accept or reject our conclusion


(D) Whether metal tools were used in the seventh-century settlements in western Mexico

Suppose that metal tools were used, does this info help us reject or accept the author's conclusion? No, it doesn't. The passage just says that metal tools were found, also even if the tools were not used, it is possible that mexican built the tools and exported it to some other regions. Info about usage doesn't help us accept or reject the conclusion

(E) Whether any of the techniques used in the manufacture of the metal rings found in western Mexico are still practiced among artisans in Ecuador today

Suppose that those techniques are still practiced, does this info help us reject or accept the author's conclusion? No, it doesn't. We don't care if they are still practiced, our only concern is did the mexicans learn the technique or not?

I got the answer right using the same process as described by GMATNinja , however, something that is bothering me is the word "cultural contact" in the stimulus, which led me to spending more time on answer choice C. Would anyone please be able to explain why this is irrelevant? Thank you!

(C) is irrelevant because of the "without actually leaving western Mexico" part.

It doesn't matter WHERE the cultural contact occurred. Maybe it was in Mexico, maybe in Ecuador, or maybe anywhere else where both groups traveled. All that matters is that the two groups were in fact in cultural contact.

As a result, it would have been POSSIBLE for the groups to learn from one another. The LOCATION of the cultural contact doesn't matter, so answer (C) wouldn't help.

A very interesting insight I had while solving this Q (I got it wrong the first time around) is that the best answer for an evaluate question is one where based on the answer (ie new info) one side can fill any gaps in arguement/claim and other will weaken the claim. If an option does not lead to this situation it might be not the best answer (in my case it was option C which sounded right but A led to a proper place where claim could be strengthened or weakened)