Archaeologists Working in Two Recently Discovered Limestone Caves in Sarawak, Malaysia

Reading Passage Question

Archaeologists working in two recently discovered limestone caves in Sarawak, Malaysia have found a surprising collection of 51 paintings estimated to be 6,000 to 12,000 years old. The paintings are unusual in their medium, manner of display, and subject matter. These are not simply wall or ceiling paintings. Stones—some as small as notebooks, some as large as doors—have been chipped and otherwise shaped to form rough canvases on which are painted individual works. Some of the pieces are stacked, while others are arranged upright in an overlapping pattern so that one can “flip through” the smaller pieces in the collection with relative ease. Hunters, warriors, and hunted animals, the typical subjects of cave art, are largely absent from these works. Instead, domestic scenes are represented, including food preparations, family meals, and recreational activities.

Though no tools have been found in the area, the fineness of the lines suggests the use of sophisticated animal-hair brushes. Gypsum, manganese, malachite, and other minerals were painstakingly ground and mixed with binding materials such as vegetable and animal oils to form the paints. In some cases, the artist or artists (Dr. Linus Mendoza of the International Speleologist Association has studied the paintings and believes that stylistic similarities and differences point to the work of three artists) have removed the patina surrounding the intended figures, producing a negative image. One probable reason for the high level of artistry is that the paintings may have been produced in the open air, where the light was good, and then brought into the cave.

However, it is the purpose of the paintings that is the most curious. Conventional wisdom holds that the hunting scenes found in cave art were meant to provide supernatural aid during actual hunts, or that figures and designs were painted by prehistoric shamans as a way of drawing power from the cave itself. It may also be that the scenes of domestic life are, like representations of hunting, meant to ensure good luck. Though facial features are rarely distinct, the paintings do suggest contentedness, or at least an absence of conflict. Most tantalizingly, it may be that the collection represents a sort of family tree. A number of the paintings appear to feature some of the same people, and it is tempting to think of these works as family portraits. Indeed, one figure, seen as a child with a mark on its forehead—the stone has actually been chipped away to represent the mark—is shown in other paintings as a young person and as an adult with the same mark.

“Archaeologists working in two recently discovered limestone caves in Sarawak, Malaysia” - this is a GMAT reading comprehension passage with answers. Candidates need a strong knowledge of English GMAT reading comprehension.

This GMAT Reading Comprehension consists of 5 comprehension questions. The GMAT Reading Comprehension questions are designed for the purpose of testing candidates’ abilities in understanding, analyzing, and applying information or concepts. Candidates can actively prepare with the help of GMAT Reading Comprehension Practice Questions.

Solution and Explanation

1. Which of the following is mentioned in the passage as an unusual feature of the stone paintings?

1. The high level of artistry
2. The age of the paintings
3. The range in the size of the figures in the painting
4. The lack of distinct facial features
5. The overlapping presentation of the pieces

2. The author of the passage is especially interested in

1. the possibility that the paintings trace the lineage of a family
2. the manner in which the paints were made
3. the stylistic differences exhibited in the paintings
4. the location of the caves in which the stone paintings were discovered
5. the method by which negative images were created

3. The primary purpose of the passage is to

1. present an overview of stone paintings and show how they differ from most cave paintings
2. offer evidence that the stone paintings found in Sarawak most likely represent a family tree
3. detail some of the reasons that the discovery of the stone paintings is of considerable interest
4. persuade the reader of the great skill that went into the creation of the stone paintings
5. discuss the reasons that prehistoric people created cave art and stone art

4. Which of the following, if true, would most undermine a possibility mentioned by the author of the passage?

1. The use of brushes made from animal hair did not become a common practice until about 6,000 years ago.
2. Stones found in a nearby cave have been painted exclusively with animal figures.
3. A chemical analysis shows that some of the paintings contain no gypsum, manganese, or malachite.
4. To show that someone had died at the approximate age shown in a painting, the artists who created the stone paintings made a mark on the head of the figure by chipping the stone.
5. Carbon-dating reveals that the stone paintings were created over a period of 200 years.

5. The author uses the highlighted portion (Dr. Linus Mendoza of the International Speleologist Association has studied the paintings and believes that stylistic similarities and differences point to the work of three artists) in parentheses to:

1. support the notion that the paintings were drawn using animal-hair brushes
2. further explain how the artist or artist were able to remove patina to produce a negative image
3. provide evidence supporting one of two possibilities regarding the origin of the paintings
4. present expert support for the belief that the paintings could have been produced by one or more artists
5. contradict a common notion regarding the artists who produced the collection of paintings.

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