Critical Reasoning

kvcpk wrote:Numerous Ancient Mayan cities have been discovered in the Yucatan peninsula in recent decades. The ruins lack any evidence of destruction by invading forces, internal revolts, or disease and appear simply to have been abandoned. Some archaeologists have theorized that the cities were abandoned due to a severe drought known to have occurred in the region between 800 and1000 AD

Which of the following if true most strongly supports the archaeologists' theory?

A. Ample archaeological evidence of Mayan Peasant revolts and city-state warfare exists, but such events could never result in the permanent abandonment of cities.

B. No monumental inscriptions created after 900 AD have been found in these cities, but inscriptions dating before that time have been found in abundance.

C. studies of Yucatan Lake sediment cores provide conclusive evidence that a prolonged drought occurred in the region from 800 to 1000 AD

D. climatic studies have documented cycles of intermittent drought in the Yucatan peninsula dating from the present to atleast 7000 years ago.

E. The Mayan City, Uxmal, was continuously inhabited from 500-1500 AD

vijaynaik wrote:Come to think of it now i strongly agree with B . Even though C proves that there was sever drought during 800 - 1000AD, people could have come to live in those cities after 1000AD. Hence weakening the conclusion that those cities were not abandoned during 800 - 1000AD. Only B supports.

rkhicha wrote:IMO B

Since most of us have been able to narrow it down to [spoiler]B&C[/spoiler]

The key difference between the two being:

C - Evidence alluding to the occurrence of a drought does not necessitate abandonment of a city

However, as is in the case of B, lack of monuments dating beyond 900 AD very well might indicate that the city has been abandoned.

Hope this helps.

ankurmit wrote:I am reopening this old thread.

OA is B but I think C should be the answer.

kvcpk wrote:Numerous Ancient Mayan cities have been discovered in the Yucatan
peninsula in recent decades. The ruins lack any evidence of destruction by
invading forces, internal revolts, or disease and appear simply to have been
abandoned. Some archaeologists have theorized that the cities were abandoned due
to a severe drought known to have occurred in the region between 800 and1000 AD

Which of the following if true most strongly supports the archaeologists'
theory?

A. Ample archaeological evidence of Mayan Peasant revolts and city-state warfare
exists, but such events could never result in the permanent abandonment of
cities.

B. No monumental inscriptions created after 900 AD have been found in these
cities, but inscriptions dating before that time have been found in abundance.

C. studies of Yucatan Lake sediment cores provide conclusive evidence that a
prolonged drought occurred in the region from 800 to 1000 AD

D. climatic studies have documented cycles of intermittent drought in the Yucatan peninsula dating from the present to at least 7000 years ago.

E. The Mayan City, Uxmal, was continuously inhabited from 500-1500 AD