Anthropologist Dr. Aragon argues that the spread of certain craft styles across pre-Columbian South America happened not primarily through direct migration of artisans, as some scholars have proposed, but through long-distance exchange of finished objects that local artisans then imitated.
Which finding, if true, would most strongly support Dr. Aragon's argument?
- A
Long-distance trade routes existed in the region.
- Bcheck_circle
Distant sites contain a small number of imported objects in a particular style alongside many locally made objects that imitate the style with regional variations in raw material.
- C
Pre-Columbian South America contains many distinct cultures.
- D
Some craft styles have been studied for decades.
Explanation
A reports the precise material signature of imitation-after-trade rather than artisan migration: few imports, many local imitations with local materials. B, C, and D are background.