Once found, Archeological Deposits must be Carefully Examined GMAT Reading Comprehension

Reading Passage Question

Once found, archeological deposits must be carefully examined and meticulously recorded. Their form, content, and function may be difficult to interpret. Precise determinations of site boundaries, artefact type and style, feature function, and site condition almost always require extensive testing and verification. Historic archeological resources, such as building foundations or associated features of standing structures such as cisterns, mill races, or garden paths, moreover, are not always recognized or adequately treated. Methods used by archeologists to collect and analyze data further contribute to the special status of archeological resources. In order to accurately analyze archeological data, archeologists must carefully record the positions of all artefacts and deposits encountered during excavations. This physical relationship between excavated materials and their exact location is called “archeological context.” Artefacts and other deposits located within their archeological context are said to have “integrity.” Integrity is lost when archeological resources are disturbed or removed without careful context documentation.

Excavation is the primary method archeologists use to recover information. Although some excavations only uncover, sample, and re-bury archeological deposits, all excavations permanently alter the context of archeological resources to some degree. This places archeologists in a unique position—the excavations necessary to recover archeological resources always affect the data they collect.

Archeologists have responded to this paradox by working to preserve archeological resources in place whenever possible. When excavation is necessary, extraordinarily rigorous methods are used to recover, record, and analyse data within the context of their discovery. In order to preserve as much of the context as possible, archeologists generally strive to collect relatively small samples from sites that can be preserved. Total recovery of archeological resources from a locale usually occurs only when all other alternatives for preservation are exhausted.

Such practices preserve the all-important contextual record and permit future study. This is important because archeological resources are significant not just for what they have already revealed, but for what they can tell us about past lifeways at some later date when more sophisticated techniques and analytic methods are available. By preserving archeological resources in place and keeping careful records of what has been recovered, archeologists work to assure that our past, indeed, has a future.

‘Once found, archeological deposits must be carefully examined’’ is a GMAT reading comprehension passage with answers. Candidates need a strong knowledge of English GMAT reading comprehension.

This GMAT Reading Comprehension consists of 7 comprehension questions. The GMAT Reading Comprehension questions are designed for the purpose of testing candidates’ abilities in understanding, analysing, and applying information or concepts. Candidates can actively prepare with the help of GMAT Reading Comprehension Practice Questions.

Solution and Explanation

1. The author is primarily concerned with

1. advocating a substantial change in the methodology of archeology.
2. explaining a traditional approach to recording data.
3. delineating the importance of archeological context.
4. challenging the approach of researchers who collect samples too small to classify.
5. urging the preservation of historical sites by limiting access to the public.

2. It can be inferred from the passage that the author would support regulations that

1. open previously restricted sites to amateur archeologists who would provide much needed assistance.
2. limit the artefacts that can be extracted from any particular archeological site.
3. apply more analytical methods to the classification of items recovered from prehistoric sites.
4. require archeologists to have more integrity than other scientists.
5. increase the number of sites available for archeological expeditions.

3. The author’s attitude toward the total recovery of archeological resources from a given locale is

1. qualified disagreement.
2. mocking disrespect.
3. total agreement.
4. irate indignation.
5. curious scepticism.

4. Which of the following would an archeologist consider of primary importance in a historical site?

1. Uncovering and removing every relic from a given area
2. Carefully noting and recording the position of a garden path
3. Finding deposits of a valuable mineral previously thought to be exhausted
4. Allowing interested spectators to get close enough to a site to appreciate the beauty of recovered pottery
5. Permanently dismantling an ancient cistern to reveal water-collection methods of prehistoric tribes

5. In the third paragraph, the author refers to which of the following as a paradox?

1. Items once thought old and worthless have become valuable as antiques.
2. A modern society that prides itself on its forward-thinking attitude prizes remnants of the past.
3. Objects that are no longer used reveal much about the people who originally used them.
4. Researchers find that, by excavating the past, they can learn lessons that will help in the future.
5. The data that are carefully collected by the archeologist are often modified by the process of collection.

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