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Difficulty: Very hardLiteral Comprehension and Fact Retrieval

Read the passage below carefully and answer the question that follows:

Excavations at the Taruga site in central Nigeria revealed that iron smelting flourished alongside Nok terracotta production between the sixth and fourth centuries BCE. Archaeologists unearthed thirteen iron-smelting furnaces featuring thick tuyères and slag pits filled with carbonized wood, yielding radiocarbon dates that confirm early indigenous iron metallurgy. Notably, while early hypotheses asserted that terracotta figurines served purely as structural tuyère supports for high-temperature kilns, subsequent micro-stratigraphic analyses demonstrated that the figurines were buried in distinct ceremonial pits prior to furnace operation. Furthermore, despite the high iron content in local laterite ores, charcoal analysis indicated that ironmasters selectively harvested semi-deciduous timber to maintain optimal reduction temperatures, rather than relying on abundant savanna grasses.

According to the passage, what did micro-stratigraphic analyses establish regarding the Nok terracotta figurines?

  1. They were placed in distinct ceremonial pits before furnaces were operated.Answer
  2. B
    They functioned primarily as structural tuyère supports in high-temperature kilns.
  3. C
    They were constructed from local laterite ores to endure high reduction temperatures.
  4. D
    They were produced using charcoal derived exclusively from savanna grasses.

Answer

Micro-stratigraphic analyses established that the Nok terracotta figurines were placed in distinct ceremonial pits before furnaces were operated.
The correct answer accurately reflects the explicit text statement that subsequent micro-stratigraphic analyses demonstrated the figurines were buried in distinct ceremonial pits prior to furnace operation.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Locate the phrase 'micro-stratigraphic analyses' in the reading passage.
Found the clause: 'subsequent micro-stratigraphic analyses demonstrated that the figurines were buried in distinct ceremonial pits prior to furnace operation.'
Direct keyword retrieval pinpoints the exact empirical finding requested by the prompt.
2
Compare the retrieved statement against the available answer options.
The option stating that figurines were placed in distinct ceremonial pits before furnace operation matches the text directly.
Literal comprehension requires identifying exact factual statements without extrapolation.

Key Concept

Literal Fact Retrieval and Direct Text Evidence
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Topics

Literal Comprehension and Fact Retrieval

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