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Difficulty: MediumIdentifying Necessary Assumptions

Archaeologist: At the ancient site of Keltis, sophisticated wheel-thrown pottery completely replaces older, hand-built styles in excavation layers dating from 1200 BCE onward. Some scholars argue this sudden shift indicates that Keltis was conquered and repopulated by a foreign empire. However, chemical analysis confirms that the wheel-thrown pieces were made from the exact same local clay pits used for the earlier hand-built pieces. Therefore, the original inhabitants of Keltis must have independently invented the potter's wheel.

Which one of the following is an assumption on which the archaeologist's argument depends?

  1. A foreign empire that conquered and repopulated Keltis would not have utilized the local clay pits to manufacture its own pottery.Answer
  2. B
    Prior to 1200 BCE, no foreign empires in the surrounding regions had developed the technology for the potter's wheel.
  3. C
    The potter's wheel technology requires a specific consistency of clay that is only found in the local pits used by Keltis inhabitants.
  4. D
    Any pottery produced by a conquering foreign empire would have been structurally inferior to the wheel-thrown pottery found at Keltis.
  5. E
    If the inhabitants of Keltis independently invented the potter's wheel, they would have been forced to continue sourcing their clay from the same local pits.

Answer

The argument depends on the assumption that a conquering foreign empire would not have utilized the local clay pits to manufacture its own pottery.
The correct answer acts as a 'defender' assumption. The author leaps from the fact that 'the clay is local' to the conclusion that 'the original inhabitants must have invented the wheel.' This logically requires that an invading empire would not have simply taken over the local clay pits to make their own wheel-thrown pottery. If an invading empire WOULD have used the local clay, the evidence of local clay cannot definitively rule out the invasion theory. By ruling out this alternative explanation, this statement is strictly necessary for the argument to function.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the conclusion.
The conclusion is: 'the original inhabitants of Keltis must have independently invented the potter's wheel.'
This establishes the author's main claim, which is countering the opposing theory of a foreign conquest.
2
Identify the primary premise supporting the conclusion.
The premise is: 'chemical analysis confirms that the wheel-thrown pieces were made from the exact same local clay pits used for the earlier hand-built pieces.'
This is the core evidence used to bridge the gap between the pottery transition and the claim of independent invention.
3
Spot the logical gap in the argument.
The author assumes that because the clay is local, the people making the pottery must be the original locals. This ignores the possibility that foreign conquerors simply took over the existing local resources.
An argument is flawed if its premises can be true while its conclusion is false. If conquerors used the local clay, the premise is true but the conclusion fails.
4
Apply the Negation Technique to the correct option.
Negating the correct answer yields: 'A foreign empire that conquered Keltis WOULD have utilized the local clay pits.' If this is true, the local clay evidence cannot disprove the conquest theory, and the argument collapses.
The defining characteristic of a necessary assumption is that its logical negation completely destroys the author's argument.

Key Concept

Identifying a 'Defender' Necessary Assumption by ruling out a fatal alternate explanation.
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Identifying Necessary Assumptions

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