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Question

Difficulty: MediumEvaluating Supporting Evidence

Passage
For decades, urban centers of the ancient Indus Valley, such as Harappa and Mohenjo-daro, were characterized as strictly regimented societies dependent entirely on centralized, large-scale granaries for food distribution. However, recent micro-botanical analyses of starch grains and phytoliths retrieved from domestic hearths challenge this monolithic narrative. Archaeobotanist Dr. Elena Rostova identified diverse residues of millets, pulses, and local wild flora within modest residential structures. These findings suggest that urban households engaged in decentralized, opportunistic cultivation and gathering alongside state-administered grain supplies. Furthermore, isotopic analysis of cattle teeth found near residential quarters revealed localized grazing patterns rather than long-distance transhumance. Together, these lines of evidence indicate that Indus urban food systems were far more resilient and flexible than previously thought, relying on a hybrid economy of centralized infrastructure and localized, household-level subsistence strategies.

Which of the following details from the passage provides the most direct evidence supporting the claim that Indus urban food systems relied in part on localized, household-level subsistence strategies?

  1. The discovery of starch grains and phytoliths from millets, pulses, and local flora within modest domestic hearthsAnswer
  2. B
    The presence of large-scale, centralized granaries described in early accounts of major Indus cities
  3. C
    The evidence of long-distance transhumance patterns revealed through isotopic cattle tooth analysis
  4. D
    The traditional historical characterization of Indus Valley society as a strictly regimented and monolithic state

Answer

The discovery of starch grains and phytoliths from millets, pulses, and local flora within modest domestic hearths
The discovery of micro-botanical remains (starch grains and phytoliths) from crops and local wild flora inside domestic hearths directly establishes that urban residents engaged in decentralized, household-level food gathering and cultivation.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the specific claim in the question stem
The target claim is that Indus urban food systems depended partly on localized, household-level subsistence strategies.
Evaluating supporting evidence requires isolating the claim before searching for corresponding empirical proof.
2
Scan the passage for specific findings associated with domestic contexts
The passage identifies micro-botanical residues of millets, pulses, and wild flora inside domestic hearths within residential structures.
Locating food remains inside individual home hearths demonstrates direct household-level food preparation and gathering.
3
Match the finding to the claim to verify logical support
Finding diverse domestic crop residues directly verifies that individual households produced and gathered food locally.
This physical evidence refutes exclusive reliance on centralized state granaries.

Key Concept

Evaluating Supporting Evidence
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Evaluating Supporting Evidence

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