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Difficulty: MediumNecessary Assumption

Archaeologist: Excavations at the Bronze Age settlement of Karystos revealed casting crucibles containing copper-arsenic alloys, but no traces of tin bronze. Because arsenic bronze was widely phased out in the Aegean once maritime trade routes made tin readily accessible, some historians conclude that Karystos had no access to these maritime trading networks. However, this conclusion is unwarranted. Karystos was a dedicated manufacturing outpost for heavy agricultural blades, and arsenic bronze produced significantly sharper and more durable cutting edges than early tin bronze alloys.

Which one of the following is an assumption required by the archaeologist's argument?

  1. A
    Any Bronze Age settlement that produced agricultural blades had established connections to regional maritime trade networks.
  2. B
    If a settlement had access to maritime trade routes, it invariably ceased all production of copper-arsenic alloys.
  3. Metalworkers at Karystos would not have preferred tin bronze over arsenic bronze for crafting agricultural blades even if tin had been available to them.Answer
  4. D
    Tin bronze was never traded along maritime routes in the Aegean during the period in which Karystos operated.
  5. E
    The agricultural blades produced at Karystos were primarily intended for export to other settlements along maritime trade routes.

Answer

Metalworkers at Karystos would not have preferred tin bronze over arsenic bronze for crafting agricultural blades even if tin had been available to them.
The argument concludes that observing arsenic bronze instead of tin bronze does not justify concluding that Karystos was isolated from maritime trade networks, citing the superior functional qualities of arsenic bronze for agricultural blades. For this rebuttal to hold, it must be true that the artisans did not prioritize tin bronze over arsenic bronze regardless of functional performance when tin was accessible. Negating this statement means the artisans would have chosen tin bronze if available, meaning the absence of tin bronze would indeed prove a lack of trade access, completely undermining the archaeologist's conclusion.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the argument's core components (premises and conclusion).
Premises: Karystos produced heavy agricultural blades using arsenic bronze, which created sharper and more durable cutting edges than tin bronze. Opposing conclusion: Karystos lacked maritime trade access. Author's conclusion: The claim that Karystos lacked maritime trade access is unwarranted.
Identifying the gap between the functional advantage of arsenic bronze and the inference about trade network access is essential to locating unstated assumptions.
2
Identify the unstated assumption linking the choice of material to the availability of trade.
The archaeologist assumes that the presence of arsenic bronze reflects a deliberate choice based on tool performance rather than an unavoidable constraint caused by a lack of tin access.
If the craftsmen would have chosen tin bronze despite the superior durability of arsenic bronze had tin been available, the lack of tin bronze would indeed indicate isolation.
3
Apply the Negation Test to confirm logical necessity.
Negating the statement that metalworkers would not have preferred tin bronze yields: 'Metalworkers would have preferred tin bronze over arsenic bronze for agricultural blades if tin had been available.' This negation directly destroys the archaeologist's argument by proving that absence of tin bronze implies absence of tin access.
A necessary assumption must fatally undermine the conclusion when logically negated.

Key Concept

Necessary Assumption (Defender Assumption and the Negation Test)
Estimated Time:1m 20s
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Topics

Necessary Assumption

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