Archaeologist Dr. Lisa Chen argues that ancient Polynesian sailors deliberately navigated to Hawaii across 2,400 miles of open ocean, rather than arriving by accident as earlier theories suggested.
Which evidence would best support Chen's claim of intentional navigation?
Polynesian cultures value ocean traditions
The voyage to Hawaii is very long
Ancient star charts accurately mapping routes to Hawaii have been preserved in Hawaiian oral traditions, and modern sailors using only these traditional methods successfully recreated the voyage
Ancient Polynesians built canoes
Correct Answer: C
Choice C is the best answer. Navigation knowledge preserved + successful recreation proves deliberate capability.
- Context clues: Chen claims navigation was "deliberate" not accidental.
- Evidence evaluation: Accurate star charts = navigation knowledge; successful recreation = proven capability.
- Verify: Modern recreation using traditional methods validates historical skill.
💡 Strategy: Claims about ancient capabilities are strengthened by modern replication.