PT121.S3.P1.Q2 > Analytics

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One of the intriguing questions considered by anthropologists concerns the purpose our early ancestors had in first creating images of the world around them. █████ █████ ██████ ███ ███████████████ ████ █████████ ████ ██ ███ █████████████ █ ██████ ███ ██████████ ███ ████████████ ██ ██████ ███ ███ ████████ ███ ████████ █████ ████████ ██ ████████████████ ████ ███

Phenomenon · Aurignacian cave paintings

Question: What was the purpose of the cave paintings?

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OP Hypothesis 1 · It was art; it was luxury meant for enjoyment

Evidence: paintings are astonishingly well-executed; suggests creators were professional artists; suggests that Aurignacian culture was wealthy enough to support an artistic class.

Counter Evidence · Paintings' location too inconvenient if purpose was truly for aesthetic enjoyment

If it really was for aesthetic enjoyment, why hide the paintings deep in hard to get to caves? Doesn't make sense.

OP Hypothesis 2 · It was religious; intended to secure prey for hunting

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Argument for Hypothesis 2 · Superstitious beliefs were common; paintings outline vital organs in red; evidence of ceremonies around the paintings

Passage Style

Critique or debate

Phenomenon-hypothesis (RC)

The passage provides information that ███████ █████ ███ ██ ███ █████████ ██████████

For how long █ ██████ ███ ███ ████████████ ██████ ███████

Not answered. We don’t get any information about the length of Neanderthals’ occupation of Europe.

How long did ██ ████ ███ ███ ████████████ ██ ████████ ███ █████████████

Not answered. We don’t get any information about how long it took for Aurignacians to supplant Neanderthals.

Did the Aurignacians ████ █████ █████ ██ ██████

Not answered. We’re never told that Aurignacians made “homes” in caves. Although one hypothesis suggests that artists spent a lot of time practicing their skills, this doesn’t imply they spent a lot of time in caves or that they lived in caves.

What are some ██ ███ ███████ ███████████ ██ ███████████ ████ ██████████

Answered.

96%

What other prehistoric ██████ █████ ████ ███ ████████████ ████████ ████████████████ ████

The only other group mentioned is Neanderthals, and we’re not told they produced representational art.

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PrepTest 121 - Section 3 - Passage 1 - Question 2

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