The archaeologist noted that the scattered pottery shards suggested a settlement had been disturbed by centuries of flooding.
考古学家注意到，散落的陶器碎片表明该定居点曾遭受数个世纪的洪水侵扰。
Archaeologists excavating a Neolithic settlement found finely made ceremonial pottery buried exclusively in a small cluster of graves set apart from the rest of the cemetery, while everyday cooking pottery was found scattered throughout all graves regardless of their location.
From a Inferences question · Information and Ideas
Which choice best defines “scattered”?
C — Spread or thrown about in different places. “scattered” means spread or thrown about in different places.
Which word means “spread or thrown about in different places”?
B — scattered. “scattered” means spread or thrown about in different places.
scattered — spread or thrown about in different places. In Chinese: 分散的，零散的.
scattered is pronounced /ˈskætərd/.
The archaeologist noted that the scattered pottery shards suggested a settlement had been disturbed by centuries of flooding. (考古学家注意到，散落的陶器碎片表明该定居点曾遭受数个世纪的洪水侵扰。)
dispersed, spread, strewn — all close in meaning to scattered (spread or thrown about in different places).
clustered, concentrated — each the opposite of scattered (spread or thrown about in different places).
Yes. scattered is on the SAT Prep Basic list — the everyday academic words the SAT assumes you already have. The Digital SAT does not test vocabulary in isolation; words like this one are tested through Words in Context questions, where you choose the word that completes a passage most logically and precisely.