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Difficulty: Very hardCommand of Evidence: Textual

In archaeology, the transition from foraging to cultivation in the Levant during the Younger Dryas (c. 12,900–11,700 BP) is often modeled as a desperate response to resource scarcity. However, archaeologist Dr. Liam Vance argues that early cultivation was not a forced adaptation to dwindling resources, but a deliberate strategy to secure prestige foods for social competitive feasting during periods of relative stability. Which choice, if true, would most directly support Vance’s argument?

  1. cereal grains showing signs of early domestication were found almost exclusively in large communal structures alongside remains of rare wild game, dating to a period of stable climate.Answer
  2. B
    grinding stones from various households in the region showed a significant increase in the processing of wild tubers and roots during a period of severe aridification.
  3. C
    sedimentary records from the southern Levant indicate that the cultivation of early domesticates coincided with a major decline in the abundance of wild resources.
  4. D
    the genetic lineage of modern domesticated wheat can be traced back to a wild progenitor population that grew abundantly across the Fertile Crescent.

Answer

The correct answer is the option describing domesticated cereal grains found almost exclusively in large communal structures alongside remains of rare wild game during a period of stable climate.
The correct answer is correct because it links early domesticated crops to a prestige and communal context (communal structures, rare game) during a stable climate. This directly supports the hypothesis that cultivation was driven by social feasting during times of stability, rather than a survival response to drought or resource depletion.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the central claim proposed by Dr. Liam Vance in the passage.
Vance argues that early cultivation was a deliberate strategy to secure prestige foods for social competitive feasting during periods of relative stability, rather than a forced adaptation to resource scarcity.
Understanding the specific claim is necessary to evaluate which evidence supports it.
2
Determine what kind of evidence would support this hypothesis.
The evidence must show a link between early cultivation and social/communal activities (prestige/feasting) and confirm that this occurred during a period of ecological stability.
This establishes the criteria for the correct answer choice.
3
Evaluate the choices against the established criteria.
Only the option mentioning early domesticated grains in large communal structures with rare wild game during a period of stable climate meets both criteria of prestige feasting and environmental stability.
Finding the option that matches the requirements leads to the correct answer.

Key Concept

Command of Evidence: Textual
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Command of Evidence: Textual

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