The Bronze Age in Britain lasted from around 2500 BCE to approximately 700 BCE. Collections of metal items (called hoards) from all periods of the Bronze Age have been found in Britain, including the Arreton Down hoard of artifacts from the 17th century BCE, unearthed around 1735, and the much later Hollingbourne hoard of artifacts from the 10th century BCE, unearthed around 2003. Sometime in the Middle Bronze Age (approximately from the 14th century BCE to the 10th century BCE), metalsmiths in Britain began to develop swords for the first time. This fact helps explain why, whereas evidence of sword production was found in _____
Which choice most logically completes the text?
Explanation
Context: The Bronze Age in Britain included the Arreton Down hoard (17th c. BCE) and the later Hollingbourne hoard (10th c. BCE). Metalsmiths began doing something new in the Middle Bronze Age (~14th–10th c. BCE). The blank contrasts which hoard shows this evidence.
Answer: D) the Hollingbourne hoard, no such evidence was found in the Arreton Down hoard.
Why? The Middle Bronze Age innovation (14th–10th c. BCE) would appear in the Hollingbourne hoard (10th c. BCE) but not the earlier Arreton Down hoard (17th c. BCE). D correctly maps the evidence to the right hoard.
Traps:
- A) both hoards only → contradicts the temporal logic
- B) hoards before 2003 had no evidence → uses discovery date, not artifact date
- C) Arreton Down had no intact swords → too specific; introduces swords rather than the general innovation