Read the excerpt below:
"Troy's trash heaps are the bronze age's search history. To know what mattered 4,500 years ago, don't ask poets
− ask the garbage."
An English teacher analyzing this metaphorical statement
with advanced students examines how the author
employs contemporary digital-age imagery to explain
archaeological methodology. When discussing the
rhetorical effectiveness of comparing ancient waste
deposits to modern "search history" and the implicit
critique of literary sources versus material evidence, the
most accurate interpretation of the author's
argumentative strategy is that _________________.Fill in the blank above and select the correct alternative.

Question

O texto seguinte servirá de base para responder à questão.We can learn a lot from Troy's trash
Beneath the epic tales of heroes and gods, Troy's true
story is written in something far less glamorous − its
rubbish.
When we think of Troy, we imagine epic battles, valiant
deeds, cunning tricks and the wrath of gods. Thanks to
Homer's Iliad, the city is remembered as a stage for
romance and heroism.
But long before Paris stole Helen and Achilles raged on
the battlefield, the people of bronze age Troy lived
ordinary lives − with extraordinary consequences. They
built, cooked, stored, traded and, crucially, threw things
away. And they did it right where they lived.
Today, waste is whisked away quickly − out of sight, out
 of mind. But in bronze age Troy (3000−1000BC), trash
stayed close, often accumulating in domestic dumping
grounds for generations.
Having spent more than 16 summers excavating and
analysing the bronze age layers of Troy, I've learned to read the city's history this waste.
Hundreds of thousands of animal bones from cattle,
sheep, fish − even turtles − were found alongside vast
quantities of pottery shards, ash, food scraps, and human
waste. Sometimes, these layers were reused to level
floors or build walls, showing how closely intertwined
daily life and refuse management were.
This wasn't laziness or neglect, it was pure pragmatism.
 In a world without rubbish trucks or sanitation systems,
managing refuse was neither chaotic nor careless, but a
collective, spatially negotiated − and surprisingly strategic
 − effort.
The excavations I have worked on as part of the
University of Tübingen's Troy Project, which has been
going on since 1988, have revealed just how deliberate
these routines were. Where people chose to dump, or not
 to dump, speaks volumes about status, social roles, and
community boundaries. Waste is the diary no one meant
 to write, yet it records the intimate rhythms of daily life
with unfiltered clarity.
Far from a nuisance, Troy's waste is an archaeologist's
treasure trove.
Over nearly 2,000 years, Troy ended up with 15 meters
 of built-up debris. Archaeologists can see nine major
building phases in it, each made up of hundreds of thin
layers, which formed as people lived their everyday lives.
These layers act like snapshots, quietly recording how
the city changed over time. Some capture hearth
cleanings, others record the rebuilding of entire city
quarters.By analysing the layers and their ratios of bones to
pottery, ash concentration, presence of storage jars,
grinding stones, or production debris, specific spaces of
activity become visible: kitchens, workshops, storage
areas, rubbish pits. What appears chaotic turns out to be
 a carefully structured map of everyday routines −
showing where meals were prepared, tools made, and
discarded objects left behind.
The story these remains tell is one of profound
transformation. Troy began as a modest agrarian
settlement, shaped by the steady rhythms of farming,
herding, and small-scale craft. Over time, it grew into a
thriving regional centre.
The archaeological record, rich in refuse, traces this long
arc of change. Exotic imports fashioned from stones such
as carnelian and lapis lazuli begin to appear, revealing
distant trade connections. Specialised metalworking tools
emerge alongside monumental architecture. some
buildings stretched nearly 30 metres, signalling growing
ambitions and expanding capabilities.
This rise unfolded gradually, reflected not just in grander
buildings, but in shifting tools, trade, and how people
dealt with what they left behind. Waste management
became more organised, with designated areas for
different types of waste. This reflects broader shifts in
how the community structured space and managed its
economy. Yet this ascent was interrupted. By the mid-third
millennium BC, signs that things were becoming smaller
appear. Architecture simplifies, household inventories
shrink, production debris declines suggesting economic
slowdown or political instability.
Still, Troy endured. By the mid-second millennium BC,
the city revived. Refined ceramics, luxury imports and
evidence of social complexity marked a new chapter of
recovery and reinvention. This splendid settlement later
became the stage for Homer's Trojan War where Greek
warriors faced the daunting task of climbing towering
mounds of debris built up over centuries just to reach the
palaces.
These insights allow us to see Troy not just as a city of
walls and towers, but as a living organism shaped by
daily routines, unspoken norms and social negotiation.
The waste left behind is a remarkably honest archive of
bronze age society − beneath myths, stones, and poetry.
Troy's trash heaps are the bronze age's search history.
To know what mattered 4,500 years ago, don't ask poets
 − ask the garbage. From broken tools to shared meals,
from imported luxuries to scraps, this waste reveals the
pulse of everyday life and society's evolving structure.
Ironically, these mundane refuse layers preserved the
bronze age world for us. Without them, we'd know far
less about early Troy's people. Their depth and
composition trace changes in economy, technology, and
social structure. From scraps to towers of pottery shards,
waste archaeology is key to understanding early urban
complexity.
So next time you picture Achilles storming Troy's gates,
remember: the heroes might have been divine, but their
city smelled very human.https://theconversation.com/we-can-learn-a-lot-from-troys-trash-260613  Read the excerpt below:
"Troy's trash heaps are the bronze age's search history. To know what mattered 4,500 years ago, don't ask poets
 − ask the garbage."
An English teacher analyzing this metaphorical statement
with advanced students examines how the author
employs contemporary digital-age imagery to explain
archaeological methodology. When discussing the
rhetorical effectiveness of comparing ancient waste
deposits to modern "search history" and the implicit
critique of literary sources versus material evidence, the
most accurate interpretation of the author's
argumentative strategy is that _________________.Fill in the blank above and select the correct alternative. Alternativa A: The statement indicates that Bronze Age people had
internet access and digital technology, which
archaeologists have discovered through excavating
computer devices and electronic equipment in Troy's
waste layers, proving that modern conveniences
existed thousands of years earlier than previously
believed.  Ou Alternativa B: The metaphor implies that literary sources and
archaeological evidence are completely identical in
their informational value and methodological
approaches, with no meaningful differences in how
they construct historical knowledge or the types of
insights they provide about ancient societies. Ou Alternativa C: The metaphor establishes an accessible analogy for
contemporary readers by equating refuse deposits
with digital data trails, suggesting that mundane
material remains reveal authentic patterns of daily life
and social priorities more reliably than epic poetry,
which privileges heroic narratives over ordinary
existence, though both literary and archaeological
sources contribute complementary perspectives on
the past.  Ou Alternativa D: The author's comparison trivializes archaeological
research by reducing complex scientific methodology
to simple garbage collection, undermining
professional credibility and suggesting that waste
analysis requires no specialized training, expertise, or
theoretical framework to interpret material culture
accurately.

Qconcursos · Accepted Answer

Alternativa [C] The metaphor establishes an accessible analogy for
contemporary readers by equating refuse deposits
with digital data trails, suggesting that mundane
material remains reveal authentic patterns of daily life
and social priorities more reliably than epic poetry,
which privileges heroic narratives over ordinary
existence, though both literary and archaeological
sources contribute complementary perspectives on
the past.  Gabarito: CFundamento decisivo: O decisivo era perceber que “search history” funciona como metáfora para os vestígios materiais deixados no lixo, e que “don't ask poets — ask the garbage” contrapõe poesia épica e evidência arqueológica. Isso orienta o gabarito para a alternativa C, que preserva a analogia contemporânea e o valor informativo do registro material sobre o cotidiano.Tema central: metáfora e evidência materialAnálise das alternativasAErradaEstá errada porque toma a metáfora literalmente e acrescenta conteúdo inexistente no texto. “Search history” é uma comparação figurada com rastros digitais; o texto não menciona internet, computadores, equipamentos eletrônicos nem qualquer evidência anacrônica em Troia.BErradaEstá errada porque afirma identidade completa entre fontes literárias e arqueológicas, quando o texto constrói justamente um contraste de foco e de valor informativo. O excerto opõe “poets” e “garbage” para sustentar que, quanto ao cotidiano e à estrutura social, a evidência material é mais direta do que a poesia épica.CCertaA alternativa C acerta porque identifica os três elementos que estruturam o argumento do texto. Primeiro, a função retórica da metáfora: comparar os depósitos de lixo a “search history” traduz a metodologia arqueológica em uma imagem contemporânea e imediatamente compreensível. Segundo, o critério informativo atribuído ao lixo: o texto sustenta que os restos materiais revelam de modo mais direto práticas, prioridades, rotinas e organização social, por serem um registro não intencional do cotidiano. Terceiro, o contraste com a literatura épica: o autor opõe o foco de Homero, ligado a heroísmo, guerra e mito, ao que o lixo mostra sobre a vida comum, sem dizer que fontes literárias sejam inúteis. Por isso, C é a única que capta a analogia contemporânea, a superioridade do registro material para o estudo do cotidiano e a complementaridade possível entre tipos de fonte.DErradaEstá errada porque atribui à metáfora um efeito de trivialização que o texto não sustenta. Ao contrário, o autor valoriza a arqueologia do lixo como trabalho interpretativo especializado, ligado a escavação, análise de camadas e leitura de evidências sobre economia, tecnologia e estrutura social.Pegadinha da questãoA confusão real era dupla: ler “search history” em sentido literal e transformar o contraste entre poesia e lixo em exclusão total das fontes literárias. A questão exigia perceber metáfora + contraste de foco, não literalidade nem negação absoluta.Dica para questões semelhantesQuando o texto usa imagem contemporânea para explicar outro campo, teste primeiro a leitura metafórica antes de aceitar qualquer sentido literal.Se o autor contrasta dois tipos de fonte, verifique se ele está hierarquizando o que cada uma revela melhor, e não dizendo que são idênticas ou que uma anula a outra.Em interpretação argumentativa, procure a alternativa que preserve ao mesmo tempo a função da metáfora e o alvo do contraste, sem exagerar para extremos absolutos.Descarte alternativas que introduzem dados não mencionados no texto, especialmente quando surgem de leitura literal de expressão figurada.

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