Question

on a cold winter’s day in 1980, a group of recreational cavers entered a narrow, wet stream passage south of knoxville, tennessee. they navigated a slippery mud slope and a tight keyhole through the cave wall, trudged through the stream itself, ducked through another keyhole, and climbed more mud. eventually, they entered a high and relatively dry passage deep in the cave’s “dark zone” – beyond the reach of external light.

on the walls around them, they began to see lines and figures traced into remnant mud banks laid down long ago when the stream flowed at this higher level. no modern or historic graffiti marred the surfaces. they saw images of animals, people, and transformational characters blending human characteristics with those of birds, and those of snakes with mammals.

ancient cave art has long been one of the most compelling of all artifacts from the human past, fascinating both to scientists and to the public at large. its visual expressions resonate across the ages, as if the ancients speak to us from deep in time. remarkably, this group of cavers in 1980 had happened upon the first ancient cave art site in north america.

since then, archaeologists like me have discovered dozens more of these cave art sites in the southeast. we’ve been able to learn details about when cave art first appeared in the region, when it was most frequently produced, and what it might have been used for. we have also learned a great deal by working with the living descendants of the cave art makers, the present-day native american peoples of the southeast, about what the cave art means and how important it was and is to indigenous communities.

question 23
what is the author’s main purpose in the article?
a. to discuss how dark-zone cave art compares to other types of cave art
b. to explore how dark-zone cave art in europe and the american southeast compare
c. to describe the discovery of dark-zone cave art and what archeologists can learn from it
d. to provide information about the archeologists that discovered the first dark-zone cave art site

Explanation:

• Option A: The passage doesn't compare dark - zone cave art to other types of cave art. It focuses on the discovery in North America and subsequent archaeological work, so A is incorrect.
• Option B: There is no comparison made between dark - zone cave art in Europe and the American Southeast. The passage is centered around the American Southeast's cave art, so B is wrong.
• Option C: The passage first describes the discovery of the first ancient cave art site in North America by cavers in 1980. Then it talks about what archaeologists have learned from these cave art sites, including details about its appearance, production, use, and insights from Native American descendants. This option matches the main content of the passage.
• Option D: The passage is not mainly about providing information about the archaeologists who discovered the first site. It is about the discovery of the cave art and the knowledge gained from it, so D is incorrect.

Answer:

C. to describe the discovery of dark - zone cave art and what archeologists can learn from it