Question 153·Hard·Inferences
A team of archaeologists analyzing pottery shards from several Bronze Age settlements in the İzmir region of Turkey used neutron-activation analysis to determine each shard’s geochemical fingerprint. They found that pots from coastal trading hubs and those from inland farming villages shared identical clay signatures that matched only one small riverbank deposit near the coast. Residue analysis revealed that most coastal pots had once contained wine, whereas the inland pots had been used to store grain. The team argues that the observed distribution pattern indicates that _____
Which choice most logically completes the text?
For SAT Reading questions that ask which statement “most logically completes the text,” first pinpoint what the evidence actually shows (who did what, where materials came from, and how they were used). Then identify exactly what kind of conclusion is being drawn (here, an archaeologists’ inference from a distribution pattern). Eliminate choices that (1) introduce new, specific claims not mentioned, (2) make sweeping generalizations from limited data, or (3) explain something other than the key evidence. Finally, select the answer that makes a modest, direct inference that best accounts for the distribution pattern without extra assumptions.
Hints
Locate what needs to be explained
Reread the part describing the “observed distribution pattern”: same clay source for pots at both coastal and inland sites, but different uses (wine vs. grain). Ask yourself: what does this pattern suggest about how objects moved?
Avoid adding extra story details
Prefer an answer that stays close to what the tests show (one clay source; pots found in multiple places). Be cautious with choices that add motivations (cultural value) or detailed trade scenarios (exact reuse patterns) not stated in the text.
Choose the most direct inference
The best completion should explain why inland pottery is made from coastal clay. Pick the choice that addresses that point most directly.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the evidence about the clay
Focus on the sentences about geochemical fingerprints:
- Pots from both coastal hubs and inland villages had identical clay signatures.
- Those signatures matched only one small coastal clay deposit.
This means that all the pots analyzed—coastal and inland—were made from clay that came from the same single place near the coast.
Understand the evidence about how the pots were used
Now look at the residue analysis:
- Most coastal pots had contained wine.
- Inland pots had been used to store grain.
So the same kind of clay was used for pots that served different purposes in different places: wine at the coast, grain inland.
Infer what the “distribution pattern” suggests
The question asks what the team argues the observed distribution pattern indicates. That pattern is:
- One coastal clay source supplies clay for pots found in both coastal and inland sites.
- Those pots are used for different contents (wine vs. grain).
A logical inference should explain how pottery made from a single coastal clay source ends up widely distributed across the region, without adding unnecessary assumptions about trade habits or cultural meaning.
Match the best-supported conclusion to the choices
The best choice should directly connect the single coastal clay source to the presence of that clay in inland pottery.
- Choices that propose detailed trade stories (like specific reuse patterns or two-way container traffic) go beyond what the residue and clay data establish.
- A choice that claims cultural preference is not supported by any evidence in the text.
- The choice that most directly explains the pattern is that finished pots made using that coastal clay were distributed inland.
So the best completion is: coastal traders likely shipped finished pottery inland, rather than shipping raw clay for inland production.