Archaeological excavations at the ancient Roman settlement of Vindolanda revealed an unexpected pattern in the site's domestic architecture. Lead arch...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Archaeological excavations at the ancient Roman settlement of Vindolanda revealed an unexpected pattern in the site's domestic architecture. Lead archaeologist Dr. Sarah Mitchell had anticipated finding the standard layout of Roman military housing—rectangular structures organized in neat rows according to established garrison protocols. Instead, the dig uncovered residential buildings with irregular shapes and seemingly random placement throughout the settlement. The architectural evidence suggested a much more flexible approach to urban planning than typically associated with Roman military sites.
According to the text, what was unexpected about the architectural discoveries at Vindolanda?
They revealed building layouts that didn't follow standard military organization.
They showed structures that were smaller than anticipated.
They indicated that previous archaeological interpretations were incorrect.
They demonstrated construction patterns consistent with other Roman sites.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| Archaeological excavations at the ancient Roman settlement of Vindolanda revealed an unexpected pattern in the site's domestic architecture. |
|
| Lead archaeologist Dr. Sarah Mitchell had anticipated finding the standard layout of Roman military housing—rectangular structures organized in neat rows according to established garrison protocols. |
|
| Instead, the dig uncovered residential buildings with irregular shapes and seemingly random placement throughout the settlement. |
|
| The architectural evidence suggested a much more flexible approach to urban planning than typically associated with Roman military sites. |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The archaeological discoveries at Vindolanda unexpectedly revealed building layouts that didn't conform to standard Roman military organization patterns.
Argument Flow: The passage opens by announcing an unexpected archaeological discovery, then explains what the lead archaeologist had expected to find based on typical Roman military standards. It contrasts these expectations with the actual irregular and randomly placed buildings discovered, concluding that this evidence suggests a more flexible urban planning approach than usually seen at Roman military sites.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- From our analysis, Dr. Mitchell expected standard Roman military housing with rectangular structures in neat rows following garrison protocols, but instead found irregular shapes with random placement
- So the right answer should explain that the unexpected element was the lack of standard military organization in the building layouts
They revealed building layouts that didn't follow standard military organization.
✓ Correct
- This directly captures what made the findings unexpected - the buildings didn't follow the standard military organization Dr. Mitchell had anticipated
They showed structures that were smaller than anticipated.
✗ Incorrect
- The passage never mentions anything about building sizes being smaller or larger than expected
They indicated that previous archaeological interpretations were incorrect.
✗ Incorrect
- This is too broad and vague - the passage isn't about overturning previous archaeological work in general but about expectations for this specific site
They demonstrated construction patterns consistent with other Roman sites.
✗ Incorrect
- This is the opposite of what happened - the findings were inconsistent with other Roman sites