Question

An ancient palace in Mesopotamia was recently uncovered, revealing three antechambers relatively undamaged. The heights of the doorways between the chambers were measured, and found to be on average no greater than 4.5 feet tall. Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that the chambers found were intended for children and young adults, and could very well have been used as a nursery.
Which of the following is NOT an assumption upon which the argument is based?

• A. The height of the doorways did not shrink significantly over time prior to the palace's discovery.
• B. Ancient Mesopotamians were not a lot shorter, on average, than modern humans.
• C. The ancient Mesopotamians built doors to accommodate the people who would primarily occupy the rooms behind them.
• D. Ancient Mesopotamians were not generally taller than 5 feet at adult height.
• E. Human height in ancient times is comparable to modern human height.

Hint:

In critical reasoning, always focus on assumptions that directly support the logic of the conclusion, not those that introduce irrelevant comparisons.

Answer 1

Answer: (E)

Step 1: Understanding the argument.
The argument assumes that the small door heights are indicative of the size of the people for whom the rooms were intended. Several key assumptions are made about the height of the people and their living conditions.

Step 2: Analysis of options.
- (A) This assumption is necessary, as it ensures that the door height measurements are valid and not altered over time.
- (B) The argument assumes that ancient Mesopotamians were similar in height to modern humans, so this assumption is necessary for the conclusion.
- (C) The argument assumes that the doors were built for the people who would occupy the rooms, a necessary assumption.
- (D) This assumption is critical, as it supports the idea that the rooms were likely built for shorter people (e.g., children or young adults).
- (E) This assumption is NOT required, as the argument does not rely on comparing ancient human height to modern height, but rather on the door height relative to the size of the occupants.

Step 3: Conclusion.
The correct answer is (E) because the comparison between ancient and modern human height is not an assumption for the argument.