medium · LSAT Reading Comprehension
Admiralty law, which governs maritime activities, includes the unique 'law of finds,' which traditionally granted ownership of a shipwreck to the first person to discover and recover it. In recent years, however, there has been a shift toward protecting shipwrecks as historical and cultural heritage, especially those located in international waters. Some argue that this shift is necessary to prevent 'treasure hunters' from destroying valuable archaeological sites for profit. This concern is misplaced. The law of finds actually encourages the discovery of historical artifacts that would otherwise remain lost forever at the bottom of the ocean. Professional salvors have the equipment and capital necessary for deep-sea recovery—resources that academic archaeologists often lack. By granting ownership to the finder, the law creates a powerful incentive for private exploration that benefits our collective understanding of history.
Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the author's argument?
- Government grants to university maritime-archaeology programs have grown substantially over the past decade.
- A number of significant maritime discoveries of the past century were achieved by private salvors who were afterward awarded ownership of what they recovered.
- Whenever private salvors sell recovered artifacts, the items invariably disappear into collections that no scholar is ever permitted to examine.
- Most vessels located by professional salvors turn out to be modern commercial ships of no archaeological interest.
- Deep-sea recovery operations conducted by private salvors have a markedly higher safety record than those run by academic institutions.
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