How did the Ancestral Puebloans protect their ground-level storage rooms in pueblos?

a. With locked doors

b. By sealing them with clay

c. By extending ladders through a hole in the ceiling

d. By building walls around them

b. By sealing them with clay

The Ancestral Puebloans protected their ground-level storage rooms in pueblos by sealing them with clay. (Option b)

To understand how the Ancestral Puebloans protected their ground-level storage rooms in pueblos, let's examine each option and see which one is most accurate.

a. With locked doors: While locked doors may have been used for some structures, in the case of ground-level storage rooms, it is less likely that they used locked doors as the primary means of protection. These structures were more vulnerable to theft or damage, so relying solely on locked doors wouldn't have been secure enough.

b. By sealing them with clay: This option seems more plausible. Ancestral Puebloans used adobe bricks made of clay and other materials to construct their pueblos. They could have used clay to seal the entrances and openings of the ground-level storage rooms, making it more difficult for intruders to gain access.

c. By extending ladders through a hole in the ceiling: Extending ladders through the ceiling is unlikely as it would have limited access and made it challenging to move large quantities of goods in and out of the storage rooms. This method doesn't align well with the practical needs of storage rooms.

d. By building walls around them: While building walls would provide some protection, it would still leave the storage rooms vulnerable to break-ins, especially if the walls were not fortified or reinforced. Walls alone would not be sufficient protection for valuable items stored inside.

Based on these considerations, the most accurate answer to how the Ancestral Puebloans protected their ground-level storage rooms in pueblos is:

b. By sealing them with clay