Historical documents have revealed that among the timucua of florida, a native american people, the best from the hunt or the harvest was given to families of high social status, even in times of economic stress. archaeological research suggests a similar relationship between social status and diet in the dallas communities of eastern tennessee, prehistoric native american groups with a social organization and economy similar to that of the timucua. the first real clue came when archaeologists discovered that skeletons of higher-status individuals tended to be several centimeters taller than those of people of lower status.
in the largest dallas communities, some individuals were buried in the earthen mounds that sewed as substructures for buildings important to civic and religious affairs. these burials included quantities of finely crafted items made of nonlocal material, denoting the high political standing of those interred. burials of lower-status individuals contained primarily utilitarian items such as cooking vessels and chipped stone tools and are located in more remote sections of the settlements. the burials actually formed a pattern, the tallest skeletons being found in the mounds, and the heights declining as burials became more distant from the mounds. while it is possible that taller people were simply more successful in achieving high social standing, it is more likely that a number of stresses, including those resulting from a relatively poor diet, which could affect stature, were common among the lower-status groups.
according to the passage, which of the following statements regarding earthen mounds in the dallas communities is accurate?
(a) they sewed primarily as burial grounds.
(b) they were constructed in key locations on the perimeter of the village.
(c) they were elements in important structures in the community.
(d) they were used as storehouses for keeping valuable possessions safe.
(e) they contained utilitarian items made of nonlocal materials.