Professor: A researcher studying ancient Mediterranean cultures claims that since textile samples found at non-Mediterranean archaeological sites, specifically those associated with the indigenous Ainu people in northern Japan, are similar to ancient Mediterranean textile samples, and since weaving was not a known practice among the Ainu, these samples provide evidence of contact between the Ainu and ancient Mediterranean civilizations. The researcher dismisses the fact that carbon dating suggests the Ainu samples are older than the arrival of Mediterranean peoples in the region by several centuries, attributing this discrepancy to potential issues with dating textiles from northern sites. However, this stance appears questionable, given that ______________.

Which of the following would, if true, most logically complete the professor's argument above?