Question

while working on a building in new york city, workers uncovered the remnants of a ship. archaeologists knew that the pieces of wood would not stay safe for long. the water surrounding the hull had helped preserve the wood. upon contact with oxygen, however, the fragments would immediately begin to fall apart. therefore the two timbers that signaled the discovery were immediately excavated. they were then transported to a laboratory for examination. meanwhile, archaeologists quickly sketched, measured, and photographed the rest of the vessel. they knew that they could analyze the records later when there was more time. do it! archeologists needed to protect the ______. a vegetation b photographs c vehicles d artifacts

Explanation:

The context is about archaeologists working with ship remnants (wooden timbers, vessel remains). Archaeologists study artifacts, which are objects made by humans (like ship parts). Vegetation (A) is plants, photographs (B) are records, vehicles (C) are transport—none fit as the item to protect. Artifacts (D) are the physical remains they'd protect for study.

Answer:

D. artifacts