Prompt: Woven baskets characterized by a particular distinctive pattern have previously been found only in the immediate vicinity of the prehistoric village of Palea and therefore were believed to have been made only by the Palean people. Recently, however, archaeologists discovered such a "Palean" basket in Lithos, an ancient village across the Brim River from Palea. The Brim River is very deep and broad, and so the ancient Paleans could have crossed it only by boat, and no Palean boats have been found. Thus it follows that the so-called Palean baskets were not uniquely Palean.

Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the argument.

Archaeology is a science based on existing evidence from the past. Small puzzle pieces are used to gain an visualization of the whole picture. Oftentimes, assumptions have to be made, but only when there is sufficient evidence to make such a conjecture. This argument that the woven baskets found in Lithos are not Palean is lacking several pieces of evidence that may serve to strengthen their argument.
The first assumption made in the argument is that the Palean basket could only be in the town after traveling by boat or if it was made by a Lithos villager. However, there is a possibility that the Palean basket drifted there across the river from Palea by chance. Therefore, evidence of water or travel damage may provide useful information as to whether the basket was made in the town of Lithos or traveled from Palea. This may prove to be difficult as the artifacts are likely to be significantly weathered, simply due to time. However, comparison of the condition of the discovered basket to other surrounding baskets may provide insight.

Due to the previously stated restrictions, evidence that the basket was made specifically by Lithos villagers is also necessary. Excavation of artifacts in Lithos will allow archaeologists to determine whether or not the patterns found on the basket are consistent with Lithos design. More recorded findings of baskets with similar patterns in Lithos may strengthen the previously stated assumption. If the pattern is found to be completely identical to Palean design, but there is no evidence of any interaction between the two villages, it is unlikely that the Lithos villagers were able to spontaneously develop an identical design. This will likely weaken the argument that the basket originated from Lithos and strengthens the possibility that the basket was deposited there by chance. If the pattern and development style is similar to those of other Lithos products, this may strengthen the argument that the basket was made by Lithos villagers.

Another assumption is that the Brim river was of the same depth and strength as it is currently. Rivers are constantly changing along with river patterns. Evidence that proves that the Brim river was as deep or even deeper may strengthen this argument that Paleans could not have crossed the river without swimming or simple flotation devices. In addition, more evidence is needed to rule out the possibility that Paleans never developed a boat or device that could be used in the river to travel. The lack of a finding does not equate to a lack of existence. A boat made in ancient civilizations may not have survived or may have sunk to the bottom of the river.

Archaeology is often not an exact science and it is nearly impossible to develop a completely accurate picture, but with enough evidence and consideration of other factors, it may be possible to make assumptions with a sufficient degree of certainty.