In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, many Western Pueblo

Question

In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, many Western Pueblo settlements in what is now the southwestern United Line States may have possessed distinctly hierarchical organizational structures. These communities' agricultural systems-which were "intensive" in the use of labor rather than "extensive" in area-may have given rise to political leadership that managed both labor and food resources. That formal management of food resources was needed is suggested by the large size of  storage spaces  located around some communal Great Kivas (underground ceremonial chambers). Though no direct evidence exists that such spaces were used to store food, Western Pueblo communities lacking sufficient arable land to support their populations could have preserved the necessary extra food, including imported foodstuffs, in such apparently communal spaces.

Moreover, evidence of specialization in producing raw materials and in manufacturing ceramics and textiles indicates differentiation of labor within and between communities. The organizational and managerial demands of such specialization strengthen the possibility that a decision-making elite existed, an elite whose control over labor, the use of community surpluses, and the acquisition of imported goods would have led to a concentration of economic resources in their own hands.  Evidence for differential distribution of wealth is found in burials of the period: some include large quantities of pottery, jewelry, and other artifacts, whereas others from the same sites lack any such materials.    1 
 1. According to the passage, which of the following is probably true of the  storage spaces  mentioned in line 14?

(A) They were used by the community elite for storage of their own food supplies. 
(B) They served a ceremonial as well as a practical function. 
(C) Their size is an indication of the wealth of the particular community to which they belonged. 
(D) Their existence proves that the community to which they belonged imported large amounts of food. 
(E) They belonged to and were used by the community as a whole.

2 
 2. The primary purpose of the passage is to

(A) outline the methods by which resources were managed within a particular group of communities
(B) account for the distribution of wealth within a particular group of communities
(C) provide support for a hypothesis concerning the social structure of a particular society
(D) explain how political leadership changed in a particular historical situation
(E) present new evidence that contradicts previous theories about a particular historical situation

3 
 3. Which of the following, if true, would most clearly undermine the author's statement in the last sentence of the passage ( Highlighted ) regarding the distribution of wealth in Western Pueblo settlements?

(A) Only community members of exceptional wealth are likely to have been buried with their personal possessions. 
(B) Members of communities with extensive agricultural systems are usually buried without personal possessions. 
(C) Most artifacts found in burial sites were manufactured locally rather than imported from other communities. 
(D) Burial artifacts are often ritual objects associated with religious practices rather than being the deceased's personal possessions. 
(E) The quality of burial artifacts varies depending on the site with which they are associated.

KevinRocci · Accepted Answer

Let's break down the question first and then turn to the passage:

samsmalldog

Which of the following, if true, would most clearly undermine the author’s statement in the last sentence of the passage (lines 38-43) regarding the distribution of wealth in Western Pueblo settlements?

The question is asking us to look at a specific claim made by the author. We need to undermine this claim made in the last sentence. The author thinks that the pueblo society had an unequal distribution of wealth. So let's go look at the sentence to learn more:

samsmalldog

Evidence for differential distribution of wealth is found in burials of the period: some include large quantities of pottery, jewelry, and other artifacts, whereas others from the same sites lack any such materials.

We can see that the author's idea is based on burial places. Some people were buried with a lot of stuff and some people weren't. The author thinks that the stuff buried with the person belonged to that person. We need to find a piece of evidence that either shows that the stuff was not their personal possession, or some other reason that some people were buried with stuff and some people were not.

Let's take a look at the answer choices:

samsmalldog

A. Only community members of exceptional wealth are likely to have been buried with their personal possessions.
B. Members of communities with extensive agricultural systems are usually buried without personal possessions.
C. Most artifacts found in burial sites were manufactured locally rather than imported from other communities.
D. Burial artifacts are often ritual objects associated with religious practices rather than being the deceased’s personal possessions.
E. The quality of burial artifacts varies depending on the site with which they are associated.

Only one answer choice gives us what we are looking for.

Answer choice A supports the author's idea so we can eliminate it.

Answer choice B is a close runner up because it provides evidence of a wealthy person who is not buried with stuff. Answer choice B only gives us a reason to doubt that a wealthy person wasn't buried with their stuff. It does not undermine the idea that there was a distribution of wealth in the society. It does not undermine the author's statement as well as another answer choice.

Answer choice C is completely unrelated. We are not concerned with where things were made. The author's theory has nothing to do with the location of origin for these objects.

Answer choice D is pretty good at undermining the author's point. It provides evidence that the objects that people were buried with were not their own. If it isn't their stuff then it becomes very difficult to support the idea that their was a distribution of wealth in these societies. The author would have to look elsewhere to support this idea.

Answer choice E is all about the quality of the objects. Like answer choice C, this has no bearing on the author's point and does nothing to undermine the argument. The quality of the objects is not under discussion.

I hope this helps. Let me know if I can be more clear!

GMATNinja · Answer

Question 1 
 
Take another look at the final sentence of the first paragraph:

Though no direct evidence exists that such spaces were used to store food, Western Pueblo communities lacking sufficient arable land to support their populations could have preserved the necessary extra food, including imported foodstuffs, in such apparently  communal spaces .

The author indicates that the storage spaces were  communal . By definition, “communal” means “shared by all members of a community; for common use.” So, when the author of the passage calls the storage spaces “communal,” he/she is indicating that the spaces belonged to (were shared by) the community and the spaces were used by (for common use of) the community. For that reason, (E) is supported by the passage.

I hope that helps!

Harley1980 · Answer

I can't understand logic of this question:

B. They served a ceremonial as well as a practical function. 
Passage says  "storage spaces located around some communal Great Kivas (underground ceremonial chambers)"  - so this answer is wrong because this storage spaces only near and this position doesn't make them ceremonial.

D. Their existence proves that the community to which they belonged imported large amounts of food. 
Passage says  "Though no direct evidence exists that such spaces were used to store food"  - so this is wrong because there no direct evidences of food storaging

E. They belonged to and were used by the community as a whole.
About this passage says two things:  "storage spaces located around some communal Great Kivas"  - so if we use logic from answer B then this is incorrect answer too, because this storage spaces only near some comunal space but this position doesn't make them communal. 
Second, the passage says  "their populations could have preserved the necessary extra food, including imported foodstuffs, in such apparently communal spaces."  
But here is a problem because  "apparently"  means  "You use apparently to refer to something that seems to be true, although you are not sure whether it is or not."  (according to CollinsCobuild dictionary). Therefore  "apparently"  it's like  possibly  and we again can't say exactly that this is comunal space. 
So why it is correct answer?

Skywalker18 · Answer

-The author is seeking to prove the existence of some sort of hierarchy in a certain society and is providing examples to justify the same
Took 5 mins in total , including 2 mins to read

1. "That formal management of food resources was needed is suggested by the large size of storage spaces located around some communal Great Kivas"
The above clearly indicate that the food stored in the storage spaces was used by the community as a whole and not by a select few. Hence option (E) is the right answer.

2. Answer C

3. "Evidence for differential distribution of wealth is found in burials of the period: some include large quantities of pottery, jewelry, and other artifacts, whereas others from the same sites lack any such materials."

The author states that artifacts that one is buried with indicate the societal position of the deceased person. The argument would be most weakened if it were proved that the deceased person had not connection with the objects that he was buried with.

Answer D

JS1290 · Answer

For those who are confused between option B and E for the Q1, please read the following. It may help clarify your doubts!

The passage states: " That formal management of food resources was needed is suggested by the large size of storage spaces located around some communal Great Kivas (underground ceremonial chambers) . Though no direct evidence exists that such spaces were used to store food, Western Pueblo communities lacking sufficient arable land to support their populations could have preserved the necessary extra food, including imported foodstuffs,  in such apparently communal spaces. "

Option B can be eliminated because the first bold part mentions that the storage spaces were located  around  the communal Great Kivas. In terms of SC, the word communal is actually modifying the Great Kivas, not the storage spaces. Just because the storage spaces were found around the communal Great Kivas, it doesn't necessarily mean that storage spaces were communal themselves. In simpler terms, if I were to say that the shirt located right next to an oxford shirt is red, it doesn't mean that the red shirt itself is an oxford. It could be a checkered shirt. Hence, why B can be eliminated!

Option E on the other hand we can clearly infer because of the second bold part. It says that the even though there is no direct evidence that such storage spaces were used to store food, Western population could have preserved the extra food  in such apparently communal (storage) spaces .

Hope this helps!

Michele4 · Answer

1. According to the passage, which of the following is probably true of the storage spaces mentioned in line 14?

(A) They were used by the community elite for storage of their own food supplies.
(B) They served a ceremonial as well as a practical function.
(C) Their size is an indication of the wealth of the particular community to which they belonged.
(D) Their existence proves that the community to which they belonged imported large amounts of food.
(E) They belonged to and were used by the community as a whole.

I agree that choice E is the only one left after POE but the passage does not seem to support it after all. Am i wrong?

agrasan · Answer

Hi experts  KarishmaB   GMATNinja   MartyMurray

Is option D in question-1 wrong because of the line "...could have preserved the necessary extra food, including imported foodstuffs..."?
I think the word "could" plays an important role so we can't "prove" what option D says about imported food.

Please correct me if my reasoning is wrong somewhere.

KarishmaB · Answer

We don't have any evidence for option (D).
 
(D) Their existence proves that the community to which they belonged imported large amounts of food.

Their existence proves nothing about the quantity of imports. The passage mentions that they could be used for extra food including imported food. How much food was imported - we have no indication.

In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, many Western Pueblo

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In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, many Western Pueblo

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