Question

An art collector approaches a historian about a small statue. The collector claims to have purchased the statue from a man who said it was one of the earliest depictions of the Babylonian king Hammurabi. The collector wants to know whether this claim is true. Which of the following pieces of evidence would help the historian determine whether the statue is authentic? A. Determining the date of its creation to see if it aligns with Hammurabi's life B. Determining if the person who sold the statue was an expert on ancient Babylon C. Determining the total number of Hammurabi statues that have been found so far D. Determining why the person with the statue bought it in the first place

Answer 1

The answer would be A. Determining the date of its creation. 

Answer 2

Answer:

A. Determining the date of its creation to see if it aligns with Hammurabi's life.

Explanation:

This is one of the most effective strategies that the historian could use in order to establish whether the statue is actually a depiction of Babylonian king Hammurabi. It is unlikely that this test will definitely establish that the statue is indeed a depiction of the king, as the time period is not the only necessary characteristic. However, if the date does not match Hammurabi's reign, we could establish that the statue is definitely not a depiction of the king.