Critical Reasoning

prachi18oct wrote:During a recent excavation, fragments of a ceremonial urn dating back around 1500 years were discovered in a New Mexico canyon. Prior to this finding, it was believed that the Pueblo tribes who lived in the area around that time made their pottery by hand. However, further investigation revealed that the light brown clay used to create the urn, popularly known as 'golden clay,' could only have been fashioned into an urn with the use of a pottery wheel.


Which of the following, if true, would, together with the information above, provide the best basis for the conclusion that the fragments of the urn are evidence that the Pueblos used the pottery wheel?

A. The remains of a pottery wheel have been unearthed at a Pueblo site in Utah, a finding that predates the discovery of the urn fragments.

Discovery of remains of pottery wheel usually makes us assume that they were used by the people then at Pueblo site. However, it could be possible that they were brought by some other traveler and was left there? Thus, I eliminated.

B. There is undeniable evidence that the Pueblo tribes who lived in the New Mexico area a millennium ago made frequent use of the pottery wheel.

This, IMO, links the two nodes of argument. This confirms that people used the pottery wheel and as per question stem pottery wheel is used to make urn. Thus, I choose B.

C. Flooding can soften the texture of clay to an extent that it can easily be molded by hand, and there is evidence that the now-dry canyon once received a considerable amount of rainfall.

This could have been acted as a weakener if the rainfall part wasn't mentioned. As it is, this option is out of scope.

D. Golden clay is commonly used by modern-day descendants of the Pueblos to create decorative pieces that can only be made by artists who have mastered the use of the pottery wheel.

Question stem is about then artists not about modern day artists. Thus, out of scope.

E. An examination of the surface of the urn fragments has revealed traces of an iron oxide called hematite that was a common ingredient of the paint used in the Pueblo rock art found in caves.

This requires additional assumptions that either urns were painted or the paint on cave walls was 1500 years old or both. Thus, incorrect.

prachi18oct wrote:During a recent excavation, fragments of a ceremonial urn dating back around 1500 years were discovered in a New Mexico canyon. Prior to this finding, it was believed that the Pueblo tribes who lived in the area around that time made their pottery by hand. However, further investigation revealed that the light brown clay used to create the urn, popularly known as 'golden clay,' could only have been fashioned into an urn with the use of a pottery wheel.

Which of the following, if true, would, together with the information above, provide the best basis for the conclusion that the fragments of the urn are evidence that the Pueblos used the pottery wheel?

A. The remains of a pottery wheel have been unearthed at a Pueblo site in Utah, a finding that predates the discovery of the urn fragments.
B. There is undeniable evidence that the Pueblo tribes who lived in the New Mexico area a millennium ago made frequent use of the pottery wheel.
C. Flooding can soften the texture of clay to an extent that it can easily be molded by hand, and there is evidence that the now-dry canyon once received a considerable amount of rainfall.
D. Golden clay is commonly used by modern-day descendants of the Pueblos to create decorative pieces that can only be made by artists who have mastered the use of the pottery wheel.
E. An examination of the surface of the urn fragments has revealed traces of an iron oxide called hematite that was a common ingredient of the paint used in the Pueblo rock art found in caves.

KevinLuk wrote:How's the assumption for this question not the Pueblos used the pottery wheel? Is that not what the question is asking at the end or am I missing some type of methodology? Thanks in advance.

-Another Ambitious Guy Starting Out.

GMATGuruNY wrote:

prachi18oct wrote:During a recent excavation, fragments of a ceremonial urn dating back around 1500 years were discovered in a New Mexico canyon. Prior to this finding, it was believed that the Pueblo tribes who lived in the area around that time made their pottery by hand. However, further investigation revealed that the light brown clay used to create the urn, popularly known as 'golden clay,' could only have been fashioned into an urn with the use of a pottery wheel.

Which of the following, if true, would, together with the information above, provide the best basis for the conclusion that the fragments of the urn are evidence that the Pueblos used the pottery wheel?

A. The remains of a pottery wheel have been unearthed at a Pueblo site in Utah, a finding that predates the discovery of the urn fragments.
the finding predates the discovery of urn fragments but it is quite possible that the pottery wheel dates back 2000 or more years.In that case, it cannot be said for sure that the wheel was used by pueblos. SOme other tribe may have used it.

B. There is undeniable evidence that the Pueblo tribes who lived in the New Mexico area a millennium ago made frequent use of the pottery wheel.
Evidence suggests that the pueblo trbe used pottery wheel 1000 years ago but the urn fragments dates to 1500 years so it is quite possible that pueblos used the pottery wheel later and the urn fragments are not evidence that pueblos made it

C. Flooding can soften the texture of clay to an extent that it can easily be molded by hand, and there is evidence that the now-dry canyon once received a considerable amount of rainfall.
Not relevant as it does not talks about golden clay

D. Golden clay is commonly used by modern-day descendants of the Pueblos to create decorative pieces that can only be made by artists who have mastered the use of the pottery wheel.
I couldn't find any other reason to eliminate it other than that the option talks about modern day descendants and we need to strengthen that the pueblo tribe used the pottery wheel to make the urn

E. An examination of the surface of the urn fragments has revealed traces of an iron oxide called hematite that was a common ingredient of the paint used in the Pueblo rock art found in caves.

Isn't it quite plausible that the ingredient in the paint is commonly used and some other tribe may also have used it on the urn. How can this option assure that the urn was made by pueblos ?
Premise: THE URN found in a New Mexico canyon could have made only with the use of a pottery wheel.
Conclusion: THE PUEBLOS used the pottery wheel.

The assumption is that THE URN found in the New Mexico canyon was made by THE PUEBLOS.
To strengthen the conclusion, the correct answer choice must strengthen the link between THE URN and THE PUEBLOS.

Answer choice E: An examination of the surface of the urn fragments has revealed traces of an iron oxide called hematite that was a common ingredient of the paint used in the Pueblo rock art found in caves.
E indicates that traces of paint used in PUEBLO ART have been found on THE URN fragments, strengthening the assumption that THE PUEBLOS made THE URN.

The correct answer is E.

prachi18oct wrote: E. An examination of the surface of the urn fragments has revealed traces of an iron oxide called hematite that was a common ingredient of the paint used in the Pueblo rock art found in caves.

Isn't it quite plausible that the ingredient in the paint is commonly used and some other tribe may also have used it on the urn. How can this option assure that the urn was made by pueblos ?