What hypothesis best explains the origin and content of Chavn iconography?
a. Chavn's religious leaders deliberately imported lowland symbolism, perhaps believing that exotic lowland people had powerful esoteric knowledge; this interpretation is supported by ethnographic and ethnohistoric documentation
b. Paleoenvironmental change; the climate was warmer and more humid during Chavn times, and therefore the highlands were able to support the lowland complex of animals commonly depicted in Chavn art.
c. Population pressure; early Chavn people were forced from the tropical forests into the highlands, where they introduced lowland plants and animals; these plants and animals were represented in Chavn iconography to pay homage and deference to the ancient homeland.
d. It was a conscious effort by the Chavn elite to maintain their status; Chavn iconography was created by the elite, and served as a constant reminder to the general population that only the elite had access to the highly desirable plants and animals represented in Chavn art.
e. Paleoenvironmental degradation, causing the climate to be colder and drier during the Chavn period.
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