The ruins of the prehistoric Bolivian city of Tiwanaku feature green

Question

The ruins of the prehistoric Bolivian city of Tiwanaku feature green andacite stones weighing up to 40 tons. These stones were quarried at Copacabana, which is across a lake and about 90 kilometers away. Archaeologists hypothesize that the stones were brought to Tiwanaku on reed boats. To show this was possible, experimenters transported a 9-ton stone from Copacabana to Tiwanaku using a reed boat built with locally available materials and techniques traditional to the area.

Which one of the following would be most useful to know in order to evaluate the support for the archaeologists’ hypothesis?

(A) whether the traditional techniques for building reed boats were in use at the time Tiwanaku was inhabited

(B) whether green andacite stones quarried at the time Tiwanaku was inhabited were used at any sites near Copacabana

(C) whether reed boats are commonly used today on the lake

(D) whether the green andacite stones at Tiwanaku are the largest stones at the site

(E) whether the reed boat built for the experimenters is durable enough to remain usable for several years

auradediligodo · Answer

Pre-thinking

My pre-thought assumption was that the boat built by the archeologists was able to carry also heavier stones than the 9 kilo stone used in the experiment.
Although the option choices do not mention anything similar we can see how a  yes  or a  no  to the first statement would  strengthen  or  weaken  the argument.+

Option A

SatvikVedala · Answer

My answer is option D

as the Question states " The ruins of the prehistoric Bolivian city of Tiwanaku feature green andacite stones weighing up to 40 tons "

Argument considers 40 Ton Anadacite stones as the heaviest/largest

What if there are more larger Stones?- if yes, how were they brought - is it using same reed boat or other means

andrenoble · Answer

Analysis

(A) whether the traditional techniques for building reed boats were in use at the time Tiwanaku was inhabited -- in case traditional technique was not used at the time, current version of reed boats may not be replicating the actual well enough for the experiment to be successful (possible)

(B) whether green andacite stones quarried at the time Tiwanaku was inhabited were used at any sites near Copacabana -- irrelevant, we are asked to test the delivery method

(C) whether reed boats are commonly used today on the lake -- irrelevant, questions is about the past

(D) whether the green andacite stones at Tiwanaku are the largest stones at the site -- irrelevant. Even if not, other stones may have been delivered using different techniques

(E) whether the reed boat built for the experimenters is durable enough to remain usable for several years -- irrelevant, boats could be re-built for every haul if needed

DrHuber · Answer

The most useful information to evaluate the support for the archaeologists' hypothesis would be:

(A) whether the traditional techniques for building reed boats were in use at the time Tiwanaku was inhabited.

This information is crucial because it directly relates to the feasibility of using reed boats to transport large stones. If the traditional techniques for building reed boats were not in use during the time Tiwanaku was inhabited, it would cast doubt on the hypothesis that these boats were used for transporting the stones. On the other hand, if the traditional techniques were in use, it would provide support for the hypothesis.

VerbalBot · Answer

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The ruins of the prehistoric Bolivian city of Tiwanaku feature green

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The ruins of the prehistoric Bolivian city of Tiwanaku feature green

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

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