At a coastal settlement, early chemical analyses of pottery residues led archaeologists to conclude that imported olive oil accounted for nearly 70 percent of the oil consumed there, evidence they cited for extensive dependence on long-distance trade. A later team recalibrated the local chemical baseline, reducing that estimate to about 30 percent. ______ the revised proportion remains substantially higher than the proportions at comparable inland settlements, supporting the narrower conclusion that the coast participated more intensively in regional trade.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For a transition containing multiple connectors, test every logical claim it makes. First determine how the new evidence affects the earlier conclusion, and then determine whether the following sentence presents a result, a contrast, a qualification, or an addition. Select an option only if both parts accurately represent the full progression of ideas.
Hints
Track both conclusions
Distinguish between the original conclusion about extensive dependence and the narrower conclusion based on a comparison with inland settlements.
Consider the effect of the recalibration
Determine whether lowering the estimate confirms, weakens, or leaves unchanged the initial interpretation.
Evaluate both connectors
Each option contains two logical moves. Check both the description of the recalibration and the relationship between that revision and the evidence that follows.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the revision
The later analysis reduces the estimate from nearly 70 percent to about 30 percent, weakening the original conclusion about extensive dependence on long-distance trade.
Examine the remaining evidence
Despite that reduction, the revised proportion is still substantially higher than the proportions at comparable inland settlements. The evidence therefore continues to support a more limited claim about the coast's relative participation in trade.
Choose the precise relationship
The transition must acknowledge that the recalibration undercuts the stronger claim and then pivot to evidence that survives the revision. “Granted, the recalibration undercuts the original claim; nevertheless,” expresses both parts of this relationship.