Question

1 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 merges 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.

cave art in america?

assessment questions
1 ... 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 ... 34
13 out of 34 answered
question 14
which option best describes the meaning of “dark zone cave art” as it is used in the article?
a. cave art that was created away from sunlight
b. cave art that was previously unseen by modern humans
c. cave art that can be damaged when exposed to external light
d. cave art that is best experienced through touch rather than sight

Explanation:

To determine the meaning of "dark - zone cave art", we analyze each option:

• Option A: The text says the "dark zone" is "beyond the reach of external light", but the art was created when the stream flowed at a higher level (not necessarily away from sunlight during creation). So A is incorrect.
• Option B: The cavers in 1980 found the first North American ancient cave art site, and since then archaeologists have discovered more. This implies the art was previously unseen by modern humans. The "dark zone" context here relates to it being undiscovered by modern people until the cavers found it.
• Option C: There is no information in the passage about the art being damaged by external light, so C is wrong.
• Option D: The passage focuses on the discovery and meaning of the art, not on experiencing it through touch. So D is incorrect.

Answer:

B. cave art that was previously unseen by modern humans