An archaeologist discovers 3 ancient laboratories in an Andean site. Each lab contains 14 clay tablets, and each tablet holds 23 inscriptions. If 18% of the inscriptions are damaged and unreadable, how many inscriptions remain legible across all labs?

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 09:22:13 +0000

**An archaeologist discovers 3 ancient laboratories in an Andean site. Each lab contains 14 clay tablets, and each tablet holds 23 inscriptions. If 18% of the inscriptions are damaged and unreadable, how many inscriptions remain legible across all labs?** A breakthrough uncover in the Andes is reshaping understanding of ancient knowledge preservation. An archaeologist recently revealed the discovery of three subterranean laboratories buried deep within high-altitude ruins. These labs, thought untouched for millennia, contain carefully arranged clay tablets inscribed with over 900 historical records—23 detailed inscriptions per tablet, totaling 14 tablets in each lab. Remote sensing and detailed excavation confirm the site’s significance, sparking curiosity across academic and cultural circles. As the story draws attention in the U.S., researchers examine how such preserved texts deepen insights into pre-Columbian intellectual traditions. The discovery has gained momentum in digital forums, collaborated research, and educational platforms—making a curious question surface: If 18% of the inscriptions remain damaged beyond recovery, how many inscriptions can still be read by scholars and historians? This figure reflects both the fragility of ancient records and the precision of modern archaeological analysis. The full calculation reveals a carefully balanced ratio of preserved to damaged texts. Across all three labs, the total number of clay tablets is 42 (3 labs × 14 tablets). Each tablet holds 23 inscriptions, yielding a preliminary total of 966 inscribed surfaces (42 × 23 = 966). Since 18% of these inscriptions are too degraded to decode clearly, nearly 165 records—18% of 966—lie beyond usable clarity (18% × 966 ≈ 173.88). Removing these, approximately 793 inscriptions remain legible and interpretable.