The lecture opposes the passage’s point that the three theories about the function of the
plate-sized ceramic disks, contending the arguments in the reading are not convincing.
Initially, the reading passage states that ceramic disks were for cooking food because it’s plate
size can prevent food from falling out of the pan and it’s handle can help the user to remove the
pan or oven. However, the speaker in the lecture challenges the point by saying that if the disks
were used for cooking, there would be discolored place on the bottom of the surface because
there is a high heat while using the disk to cook, but archaeologists haven’t found the disk that
have discolored place caused by the high heat.
Moving on, another crucial point in the reading is that those disks were drums for making sound.
In the reading passage, the writer states that the people can use animal skins to make it be
capable to making sound, and people also can use the handle to hold the drums by one hand as
another hand is striking the animal skins. Conversely, the speaker in the lecture casts doubt and
contends that the ceramic disks can’t make very pleasant sound which people can use better
materials like wood to replace it and it is not as easy as the writer said to move .
Last but not least, the reading passage puts forward the point that the disks can be made into an
ancient kind mirror. It is because that the archaeologists believe that the disks can be used to
create a reflection by filling it with liquid like olive oil and the decoration found on the disks are
similar to decorations found on hand-held metal mirrors made in ancient Greece.Whereas the
lecturer argues that if they use liquid to create a reflection, then they need to place it horizontally
on the surface, which makes the decoration will be hidden and make the decoration meaningless,
the lecturer also points out that the metal mirrors made int ancient Greece can be placed
vertically because the didn’t have the fluid confinement to it, so it’s normal to see that they have
the decoration.
In conclusion, the professor indicate that those solution mentioned in the reading passage are
not realistic or practical.