Argument33【0906G 文以载道三月四月小组】第一周第一次作业 by sibslcc

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Argument 33

The following report appeared in an archaeology journal.
'The discovery of distinctively shaped ceramic pots at various prehistoric sites scattered over a wide area has led archaeologists to ask how the pots were spread. Some believe the pot makers migrated to the various sites and carried the pots along with them; others believe the pots were spread by trade and their makers remained in one place. Now, analysis of the bones of prehistoric human skeletons can settle the debate: high levels of a certain metallic element contained in various foods are strongly associated with people who migrated to a new place after childhood. Many of the bones found near the pots at a few sites showed high levels of the metallic element. Therefore, it must be that the pots were spread by migration, not trade.'

在广泛区域分散分布的很多史前遗迹发现的形状独特的陶壶导致考古学家提出疑问：这些壶是如何流传的？有些人相信壶的制造者迁移到别的地方并把壶随之带来；另一些人相信壶是通过贸易流传的，而他们的制造者留在一个地方。现在，对于史前人类骨骼的分析可以解决这个争论: 在多种食物中都含有的某种金属元素的高含量与那些成年后移居到新地方的人有很高的关联性。在一些遗迹的壶附近发现的很多骨头都显示出这种金属元素的高含量。因此，这些壶肯定是通过迁徙而不是贸易来流传的。

提纲：
1.食物中高金属含量和成年后迁徙的人之间的有联系，不能推出所有的高含量的人都是迁移而来，非常可能就是本地的居民，或者说这种食物传播的非常广，到处的人 都能吃到。

2.即使承认这些高含量骨头是迁移来的，可能罐子不是跟着迁移来的，可能就是罐子贸易非常发达，人们买到了这种罐子。

3.再退一步，即使迁移的人带着罐子，不能排除有的罐子贸易而来。两者同时传播罐子。



In this report, the author concludes that the shaped ceramic pots were spread  by migration, not trade. To strengthen this conclusion, the author points out that there is correlation between high levels of a certain metallic element contained in various foods and people who migrated to a new place after childhood. The author also points out many of the bones found near the pots has high levels of the metallic element. At first glance, the report might be somehow reasonable, but scrutiny reveals that it contains several unconvincing assumptions and is therefore unpersuasive.

First of all, a correlation between high levels of the metallic element in foods and adults migrated to a new place does not necessarily prove that all people with high levels of a certain metallic element in their bones migrated to a new place after childhood. The author obviously overlooks other possible explanations for the phenomenon. For example, perhaps the people whose bones had high levels of the metallic elements were just local residents. Because maybe the foods which had a high level metallic element were spread over a wide area, it caused the metallic elements concentration in bones of locals. Or perhaps people in the area where the high metallic element bones found near the pots also ate this widely spread foods. Without ruling out such possibilities, I cannot accept the author's point of high levels of a certain metallic element in bones and the migration.

Second, even assuming that the people indeed migrated from one place to another, the author unfairly indicates a causal relation between the migration of people and the pots' dissemination. There is no warranted evidence to prove that the pots were spread along with the migration of these people. Maybe, the trade of these pots was so flourishing that majority of the people who moved to this area where found bones with high metallic elements. Without accounting for all other explanations, the author cannot reasonably conclude that people's migration is responsible for the spreading of the ceramic pots.

Third, even I concede that these pots near the bones were token by the people migrated there, the author cannot indicate that all the pots were spread by migration only by this fact of the high metallic elements bones. It is hard to explain the possible phenomenon that some bones near the pots didn't have high metallic element. Perhaps the pots were spread by migration, also by trade.

To sum up, the author's conclusion about the pots were spread by migration is not well supported as it stands. To reinforce it, the author must provide more evidence to prove that the high metallic elements foods only spread in a small area and the bones contains many metallic elements were found in other areas. To better assess the problem, I would also need to confirm that the bones were caused by migration and only in this area the pots were founded.

[ 本帖最后由 sibslcc 于 2009-1-12 00:19 编辑 ]

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