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Atticus Finch
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Re: Q22
Tough one!
We're asked to undermine Schmandt-Besserat's theory mentioned in lines 28-33. The theory is that the envelopes contained official records of villager's contributions to temple-based grain and livestock pools. And sure Schmandt-Besserat's explanation of the inscriptions is definitely one possibility, but it's not the only possible explanation. An answer choice that provides an alternative explanation of the purpose of the inscriptions would compete with Schmandt-Besserat's and would thereby undermine the view. Answer choice (B) provides such a competing explanation and is the correct answer. According to answer choice (B), maybe the inscriptions weren't to track contributions to temple-based grain and livestock pools, but rather to track villager to villager promissory obligations.
Incorrect Answers
(A) is out of scope.
(C) is out of scope. Schmandt-Besserat's theory is about those tokens found between 4000 B.C. and 3100 B.C.
(D) is out scope. The issue isn't whether they were intended to be placed in clay envelopes, but rather whether they were used to track contributions to temple-based grain and livestock pools.
(E) supports the argument.
#officialexplanation
We're asked to undermine Schmandt-Besserat's theory mentioned in lines 28-33. The theory is that the envelopes contained official records of villager's contributions to temple-based grain and livestock pools. And sure Schmandt-Besserat's explanation of the inscriptions is definitely one possibility, but it's not the only possible explanation. An answer choice that provides an alternative explanation of the purpose of the inscriptions would compete with Schmandt-Besserat's and would thereby undermine the view. Answer choice (B) provides such a competing explanation and is the correct answer. According to answer choice (B), maybe the inscriptions weren't to track contributions to temple-based grain and livestock pools, but rather to track villager to villager promissory obligations.
Incorrect Answers
(A) is out of scope.
(C) is out of scope. Schmandt-Besserat's theory is about those tokens found between 4000 B.C. and 3100 B.C.
(D) is out scope. The issue isn't whether they were intended to be placed in clay envelopes, but rather whether they were used to track contributions to temple-based grain and livestock pools.
(E) supports the argument.
#officialexplanation
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