Excavation of the ancient city of Kourion on the island of Cyprus revealed a pattern of debris and collapsed buildings...
GMAT Critical Reasoning : (CR) Questions
Excavation of the ancient city of Kourion on the island of Cyprus revealed a pattern of debris and collapsed buildings typical of towns devastated by earthquakes. Archaeologists have hypothesized that the destruction was due to a major earthquake known to have occurred near the island in A.D. 365.
Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the archaeologists' hypothesis?
Passage Analysis:
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
| Excavation of the ancient city of Kourion on the island of Cyprus revealed a pattern of debris and collapsed buildings typical of towns devastated by earthquakes. |
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| Archaeologists have hypothesized that the destruction was due to a major earthquake known to have occurred near the island in A.D. 365. |
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Argument Flow:
"The argument starts with archaeological evidence (earthquake-like destruction patterns) and then proposes an explanation (a known historical earthquake from 365 A.D. caused this damage)"
Main Conclusion:
"The destruction of Kourion was caused by the major earthquake that occurred near Cyprus in A.D. 365"
Logical Structure:
"This is a causal explanation argument where physical evidence (destruction patterns consistent with earthquakes) is linked to a specific historical cause (the documented 365 A.D. earthquake). The archaeologists are using the timing and proximity of the known earthquake to explain the observed damage patterns"
Prethinking:
Question type:
Strengthen - We need to find information that makes the archaeologists' hypothesis more believable. The hypothesis is that the A.D. 365 earthquake caused the destruction patterns found in Kourion.
Precision of Claims
The claims are about timing (A.D. 365), location (near Cyprus island), causation (earthquake caused the destruction), and pattern matching (debris patterns typical of earthquake damage).
Strategy
To strengthen this hypothesis, we need evidence that better connects the A.D. 365 earthquake to Kourion's destruction. We can look for: timing evidence that shows the destruction happened around A.D. 365, evidence that the earthquake was strong enough to reach Kourion, or evidence that rules out other possible causes of destruction.
Bronze ceremonial drinking vessels found in graves from years before and after A.D. 365 were also found near Kourion. This actually weakens the hypothesis because it suggests continuous burial practices and human activity both before AND after A.D. 365. If the earthquake in 365 destroyed the city, we wouldn't expect to see the same ceremonial vessels being used in graves after the destruction.
No coins minted after A.D. 365 were found in Kourion, but coins minted before that year were found in abundance. This strongly supports the hypothesis by showing that economic activity and normal life in Kourion stopped right around A.D. 365. The complete absence of newer coins suggests the city was abandoned or destroyed at that time, which perfectly matches when the earthquake occurred. This timing evidence makes the causal connection much more believable.
Most modern histories mention that an earthquake occurred near Cyprus in A.D. 365. This doesn't strengthen the hypothesis because the argument already tells us that archaeologists know about this earthquake. We need evidence connecting this known earthquake specifically to Kourion's destruction, not just confirmation that the earthquake happened.
Several small statues from A.D. 300-400 were found in Kourion. This is too vague to help since this century-long timeframe includes both before and after A.D. 365. We can't tell from this whether the statues were made before the earthquake, after it, or both. It doesn't provide the specific timing evidence we need.
Stone inscriptions using a Greek alphabet form that was definitely used in Cyprus after A.D. 365 were found in Kourion. This actually weakens the hypothesis because it suggests people were still alive and actively creating inscriptions in Kourion after A.D. 365, which contradicts the idea that the earthquake destroyed the city in that year.