Collectors prize the ancient life-size clay statues of human figures made on Kali Island but have long wondered how Kalinese artists were able to depict bodies with such realistic precision. Since archaeologists have recently discovered molds of human hea

Given the recent discoveries of molds of humans on Kali, the author of the argument has taken for granted that the life-size statues are made by real human molds. Furthermore, he/she believes that as they are made in such a way, then the value of the life-size statues will decline while the value of the miniature statues will go up. The conclusions of the author rest on unsupported premises which cast doubt on the whole argument. There are questions needed to be answered before any evaluation.

First, the author should ask whether the molds and the statues are nearly from the same era. It is possible that molds are made hundreds of years after the statues. If this is the case, any relation between molds and statues cannot be established. Even assuming that molds and statues are from the same era, only because archaeologists have found molds in that area of human heads and hands, it does not guarantee that all the statues are made in this way. The author needs to ask whether any direct sign of the internal human body exists on the statues or not. It is possible that the precision of the sculptures is related to the genius of the artists of that time.

Secondly, the author mentions the lack of enough numbers of discovered-sculpturing-tools to further support that statues are molds. The author needs to ask whether there are alternative explanations. It is possible that the tools for making clay statues deposited during the time while the statues are remained in the crucible of time. Furthermore, as recently there the archeologists discovered molds, it is possible that the area still has many undiscovered places and the more tools are not found yet. If these are the case, the life-size statues are made by sculpting and the whole argument is questionable.

Finally, even the sculptures are molds, the author needs to ask what affects the value of the sculptures for the collectors. It is possible that many buyers are more inclined to possess such statues and even are more eager to pay more for them. Such items are valued for their antiquity, uniqueness, beauty and other reasons either. Although the making process might not be a civilized way, people might enjoy having them as there may be other options meriting the statues. Furthermore, the author needs to ask why the miniature sculptures would have a rise in their price. In the argument there is no sign to show that some new features are discovered for the miniature statues. Then, it would barely tenable that miniature sculptures’ value would arise.

In short, the argument is replete with the ambiguous points, defying any certain evaluation. The enumerated questions, whose answers are needed to illustrate the argument, are unaddressed by the author. Therefore the conclusion cannot be tenable.