Archaeologists hypothesize that an eleventh-century Byzantine church in what is now Turkey was constructed in two distinct sections, separated by decades. They analyzed pigments from frescoes painted on walls in the two sections and confirmed the presence of different mineral compounds in each section’s pigments. Additionally, the relatively rare ultramarine violet appears in only one section.
Which of the following would it be most useful to determine in evaluating the archaeologists’ hypothesis?
A. Whether stylistic differences indicate that in any other Byzantine church two sections were painted by different painters
B. Whether the paint pigments found in the section of the church thought to have been built later were still in use one or more centuries after the time at which the church is thought to have been built
C. Whether ultramarine violet was commonly used in the region where the church is located
D. Whether the mineral compounds found in the pigments in the church occurred naturally in the region where it is located
E. Whether eleventh-century Byzantine churches typically were decorated at or around the time of their construction
Solution
Passage Analysis:
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
| Archaeologists hypothesize that an eleventh-century Byzantine church in what is now Turkey was constructed in two distinct sections, separated by decades. | What it says:Ā Researchers think this old church was built in two parts with years in between What it does:Ā Sets up the main theory we’re going to examine What it is:Ā Author’s statement of the hypothesis Visualization:Ā Timeline: Section 1 built (say 1050) ā decades pass ā Section 2 built (say 1080) |
| They analyzed pigments from frescoes painted on walls in the two sections and confirmed the presence of different mineral compounds in each section’s pigments. | What it says:Ā Scientists tested the paint and found different minerals in each section What it does:Ā Provides the first piece of evidence that supports the two-part construction theory What it is:Ā Study finding/evidence Visualization:Ā Section 1 pigments: Mineral A, B, C vs Section 2 pigments: Mineral D, E, F |
| Additionally, the relatively rare ultramarine violet appears in only one section. | What it says:Ā A special rare purple color shows up in just one part of the church What it does:Ā Adds stronger evidence by showing an exclusive difference between sections What it is:Ā Additional study finding Visualization:Ā Section 1: regular pigments vs Section 2: regular pigments + rare ultramarine violet |
Argument Flow:
The argument starts with the archaeologists’ hypothesis about two-phase construction, then presents two pieces of supporting evidence: different mineral compounds in pigments between sections, and the presence of rare ultramarine violet in only one section.
Main Conclusion:
An eleventh-century Byzantine church was constructed in two distinct sections, separated by decades.
Logical Structure:
The evidence about different pigments and exclusive presence of rare materials supports the conclusion by showing that the materials used in each section came from different time periods, which would be expected if construction happened decades apart.
Prethinking:
Question type:
Evaluate – We need to find what information would be most useful to test whether the archaeologists’ hypothesis (that the church was built in two sections separated by decades) is actually correct
Precision of Claims
The hypothesis makes specific claims about timing (decades apart) and construction sequence (two distinct sections). The evidence focuses on pigment differences and presence of rare ultramarine violet in only one section
Strategy
For evaluate questions, we need to think of assumptions the archaeologists are making and create scenarios that would either strengthen or weaken their conclusion when we get more information. The key gap is whether different pigments actually prove different construction times, or if there could be other explanations for the pigment differences
Answer Choices Explained
A. Whether stylistic differences indicate that in any other Byzantine church two sections were painted by different painters
This asks about stylistic differences in other Byzantine churches painted by different painters. While this might be interesting for art history, it doesn’t help us evaluate whether different pigments in THIS church indicate different construction times. We’re not trying to determine if different painters worked on the sections – we’re trying to determine if the sections were built decades apart. The question of painter identity is separate from the timing of construction.
B. Whether the paint pigments found in the section of the church thought to have been built later were still in use one or more centuries after the time at which the church is thought to have been built
This asks whether the pigments from the later section were still in use centuries after the church’s construction. This doesn’t help evaluate the hypothesis because we’re not concerned with whether these pigments continued to be used long after – we need to know about the relationship between pigment use and construction timing. Even if the pigments remained in use for centuries, that doesn’t tell us whether the different pigments indicate different construction periods.
C. Whether ultramarine violet was commonly used in the region where the church is located
This asks whether ultramarine violet was commonly used in the region. While this might explain why the rare pigment appears in only one section, it doesn’t help us determine whether the pigment differences indicate different construction times. Even if ultramarine violet was rare in the region, this doesn’t establish that its presence in one section means that section was built decades later.
D. Whether the mineral compounds found in the pigments in the church occurred naturally in the region where it is located
This asks whether the mineral compounds occurred naturally in the region. Like choice C, this might explain the source of the pigments but doesn’t help establish the crucial link between different pigments and different construction periods. Knowing where the minerals came from doesn’t tell us when they were used or whether their use indicates different construction phases.
E. Whether eleventh-century Byzantine churches typically were decorated at or around the time of their construction
This directly addresses the key assumption underlying the archaeologists’ reasoning. They’re using pigment differences as evidence for different construction times, but this only makes sense if churches were typically decorated when they were built. If Byzantine churches were commonly decorated years or decades after construction, or if sections were often repainted later, then the different pigments might simply indicate different decoration periods, not different construction periods. This information would either strengthen the hypothesis (if decoration typically happened at construction) or weaken it significantly (if decoration often happened much later).
