Question 99·Hard·Command of Evidence
Using stable isotope analysis of preserved barley grains from Archaic-period settlements along the lower Indus River, archaeobotanist Leena Patel and colleagues found unexpectedly low ratios—values that typically indicate crops experienced little water stress. Because paleoclimate data show limited rainfall in the region around 4000 BCE, Patel’s team argues that local farmers must have practiced organized flood irrigation centuries earlier than previously documented.
Which finding, if true, would most directly support Patel’s conclusion?
For SAT “Which finding would most directly support the conclusion?” questions, first state the conclusion precisely (what is claimed, where, and when). Then choose the option that most directly confirms that exact claim—prefer concrete, mechanism-level evidence (e.g., physical irrigation structures or contemporaneous records of water diversion) and be strict about matching the time period and location. Eliminate choices that are off in time/place or that only provide indirect correlations (like stress markers or later cultural practices).
Hints
Restate the argument
What exactly are Patel and colleagues claiming about the farmers along the lower Indus River around 4000 BCE? Put their conclusion into a simple sentence before looking at the answer choices.
Look for time and location matches
Focus on which options talk about evidence from around 4000 BCE and from the same settlements where the barley grains were found. Cross out choices that are clearly from much later or from different regions.
Direct vs. indirect support
Ask yourself: which choice would make it hard to deny that farmers were managing water in an organized way? Prefer concrete evidence about water-management structures over general information about climate, rituals, or later changes.
Think about what irrigation physically requires
If farmers truly practiced organized flood irrigation, what physical traces or features would you expect archaeologists to find near their fields?
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the conclusion that needs support
First, restate Patel’s conclusion in your own words. The passage says Patel’s team argues that local farmers must have practiced organized flood irrigation around 4000 BCE in the lower Indus River settlements. So we want evidence that:
- Shows organized irrigation, not just that crops had water.
- Is from about 4000 BCE.
- Is connected to the same settlements where the barley was found.
Understand what kind of evidence is strongest
For “most directly support,” you want concrete, specific evidence that makes the conclusion much more likely.
Here, the conclusion is about a farming practice (flood irrigation). The best support will be direct evidence of that practice—for example, physical structures used for irrigation—rather than indirect clues (like later rituals or climate patterns somewhere else).
Check each choice for time and place
Now quickly match each option to the key details:
- Is it from around 4000 BCE, like the conclusion?
- Is it tied to the same settlements where the barley grains were collected?
- Does it relate specifically to how water was managed for crops (irrigation), not just to water or farming in a vague way?
Eliminate any choice that is clearly from a much later time or a different area, or that doesn’t say anything about irrigation practices.
Evaluate how directly each option supports irrigation
Compare the remaining options by how directly they support organized flood irrigation:
- Some choices discuss changes in isotope ratios over time.
- Some compare sites near rivers with upland sites.
- One choice describes religious or ceremonial practices.
- One choice describes a physical system for moving water right next to the settlements at the correct time.
The option that gives physical evidence of an irrigation system at those settlements around 4000 BCE is the one that most directly supports Patel’s conclusion: A complex network of earthen canals dating to about 4000 BCE is discovered adjacent to the settlements where the barley grains were collected.