Question

Metal rings recently excavated from seventh-century settlements in the western part of Mexico were made using the same metallurgical techniques as those used by Ecuadorian artisans before and during that period. These techniques are sufficiently complex to make their independent development in both areas unlikely. Since the people of these two areas were in cultural contact, archaeologists hypothesize that the metallurgical techniques used to make the rings found in Mexico were learned by Mexican artisans from Ecuadorian counterparts.
Which of the following would it be most useful to establish in order to evaluate the archaeologists' hypothesis?

• A. Whether metal objects were traded from Ecuador to western Mexico during the seventh century
• B. Whether travel between western Mexico and Ecuador in the seventh century would have been primarily by land or by sea
• C. Whether artisans from western Mexico could have learned complex metallurgical techniques from their Ecuadorian counterparts without actually leaving western Mexico
• D. Whether metal tools were used in the seventh-century settlements in western Mexico
• E. Whether any of the techniques used in the manufacture of the metal rings found in western Mexico are still practiced among artisans in Ecuador today

Hint:

In questions that ask you to evaluate a hypothesis, look for the option that tests a key assumption or a potential mechanism of action. The hypothesis here is about knowledge transfer. The best way to evaluate it is to seek evidence of a plausible channel for that transfer, such as trade.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Hypothesis
The argument presents a hypothesis about the transmission of technology in the ancient world.
Evidence 1: Identical, complex metallurgical techniques found in 7th-century Mexico and Ecuador.
Evidence 2: Independent invention is unlikely.
Evidence 3: There was cultural contact between the two areas.
Hypothesis: The direction of learning was from Ecuador to Mexico (Ecuadorians taught Mexicans).

Step 2: Analyzing the Task
The question asks what would be most useful to establish to "evaluate" the hypothesis. This means we are looking for a question whose answer (either yes or no) would significantly strengthen or weaken the conclusion that the technology was transferred from Ecuador to Mexico. We need to test the proposed direction of transmission.

Step 3: Evaluating the Options
(A) This question asks about trade of metal objects from Ecuador to Mexico. If the answer is YES, it establishes a concrete mechanism for cultural contact and a plausible pathway for the technology transfer. Mexican artisans could have seen these traded objects, become inspired, and sought to learn the techniques, or even reverse-engineered them. This would strengthen the hypothesis. If the answer is NO, it removes a primary channel for this transfer, making the hypothesis less likely (though not impossible, as people could have traveled without trade). Because the answer directly affects the plausibility of the proposed transfer, this is a very useful question to ask.
(B) The mode of travel (land vs. sea) is a logistical detail. While interesting, knowing the answer would not help evaluate the core of the hypothesis, which is about the transfer of knowledge, not the specific route taken.
(C) This asks if it was possible for Mexican artisans to learn without traveling. If yes, it just means direct tutelage wasn't necessary. If no, it means artisans must have traveled. This is related to the mechanism, much like (A), but it is a more hypothetical question. Option (A) asks about a specific, verifiable historical event (trade), which is a more direct way to test the "cultural contact" premise. Proving trade occurred is stronger evidence for the hypothesis than just establishing that learning from afar was possible.
(D) Whether metal tools were used is irrelevant. The hypothesis is specifically about the techniques used to make metal rings. The presence or absence of other metal objects doesn't help evaluate the origin of this particular technology.
(E) Whether the techniques are still practiced today has no bearing on how they were transmitted in the seventh century. It is historically irrelevant to the hypothesis.
Step 4: Final Answer
Option (A) is the most useful question to ask. Establishing whether finished goods were traded between the two cultures provides direct evidence for a plausible mechanism of knowledge transfer. It helps to substantiate the claim of "cultural contact" in a way that is directly relevant to the specific technology in question, thus allowing for a better evaluation of the hypothesis that the techniques were learned by Mexicans from Ecuadorians.