SiteExcavation PeriodArtifacts CataloguedMesa Verde1888-19252,847 pottery fragments, 1,203 tools, 456 jewelry piecesChaco Canyon1896-19303,104 pottery...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
| Site | Excavation Period | Artifacts Catalogued |
|---|---|---|
| Mesa Verde | 1888-1925 | 2,847 pottery fragments, 1,203 tools, 456 jewelry pieces |
| Chaco Canyon | 1896-1930 | 3,104 pottery fragments, 897 tools, 203 jewelry pieces |
| Canyon de Chelly | 1901-1922 | 1,689 pottery fragments, 1,456 tools, 334 jewelry pieces |
| Bandelier | 1909-1935 | 2,233 pottery fragments, 678 tools, 289 jewelry pieces |
Archaeological surveys of Ancestral Puebloan sites in the American Southwest have revealed extensive collections of artifacts from these ancient communities. However, researchers acknowledge that early excavation methods were often incomplete, and many artifacts were likely overlooked, damaged during extraction, or simply left undocumented in site reports. Given these limitations in historical archaeological practice, the catalogued numbers should be viewed as conservative estimates rather than comprehensive inventories; therefore, it's quite plausible that _______
Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to complete the example?
Chaco Canyon contained significantly more than 3,104 pottery fragments and Bandelier yielded over 678 tools.
Mesa Verde's 456 jewelry pieces represents the complete inventory from that site.
Canyon de Chelly's excavation period ended before 1922 due to incomplete documentation.
the 1,203 tools from Mesa Verde were all discovered after 1925.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Archaeological surveys of Ancestral Puebloan sites in the American Southwest have revealed extensive collections of artifacts from these ancient communities." |
|
| "However, researchers acknowledge that early excavation methods were often incomplete, and many artifacts were likely overlooked, damaged during extraction, or simply left undocumented in site reports." |
|
| "Given these limitations in historical archaeological practice, the catalogued numbers should be viewed as conservative estimates rather than comprehensive inventories;" |
|
| "therefore, it's quite plausible that _______" |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Archaeological artifact counts from early excavations should be seen as underestimates because excavation methods were incomplete.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes that surveys found extensive artifacts, then immediately qualifies this by explaining that early excavation methods missed many items. This leads to the conclusion that recorded numbers are conservative estimates, setting up for a logical inference about what the actual numbers might have been.
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
- The passage argues that catalogued numbers are conservative estimates because excavation methods were incomplete and artifacts were missed
- The logical completion should therefore suggest that the actual numbers of artifacts were higher than what's recorded in the table
- The right answer should reference specific numbers from the data table
- The right answer should suggest these specific numbers were actually higher in reality
- The right answer should follow the logical flow that incomplete methods led to undercounting
- The right answer should indicate that specific sites likely contained more artifacts than the catalogued amounts shown in the table
Chaco Canyon contained significantly more than 3,104 pottery fragments and Bandelier yielded over 678 tools.
✓ Correct
- Uses specific data from the table (Chaco Canyon's 3,104 pottery fragments, Bandelier's 678 tools)
- Suggests these catalogued numbers were actually lower than reality ("significantly more than" and "over")
- Perfectly matches the passage's logic that incomplete methods led to conservative estimates
Mesa Verde's 456 jewelry pieces represents the complete inventory from that site.
✗ Incorrect
- References specific table data (Mesa Verde's 456 jewelry pieces)
- Contradicts the passage by calling it a "complete inventory" when the passage explicitly says numbers should be viewed as conservative estimates, not comprehensive inventories
- What trap this represents: Students might think any reference to table data works, missing that the content must align with the passage's argument
Canyon de Chelly's excavation period ended before 1922 due to incomplete documentation.
✗ Incorrect
- Makes a claim about timing (excavation ending before 1922) that isn't supported by the table data
- Doesn't effectively use the numerical data from the table
- Creates a causal connection (ending due to documentation issues) that the passage doesn't establish
the 1,203 tools from Mesa Verde were all discovered after 1925.
✗ Incorrect
- References table data (1,203 tools from Mesa Verde) but makes an unsupported timing claim
- The table shows excavation periods, but there's no basis for claiming all tools were found "after 1925"
- Doesn't connect to the conservative estimates argument at all