Based on accounts of various ancient writers, scholars have painted a sketchy
picture of the activities of an all-female cult that, perhaps as early as the sixth
century B.C., worshipped a goddess known in Latin as Bona Dea, “the good
goddess.”
(A) Based on accounts of various ancient writers
(B) Basing it on various ancient writers’ accounts
(C) With accounts of various ancient writers used for a basis
(D) By the accounts of various ancient writers they used
(E) Using accounts of various ancient writers

What is going to be the correct answer?

Another question:

At the time of the Mexican agrarian revolution, the most radical faction, that of
Zapata and his followers, proposed a return to communal ownership of land, to
what had been a pre-Columbian form of ownership respected by the Spaniards.
(A) land, to what had been a pre-Columbian form of ownership respected by the
Spaniards
(B) land, a form of ownership of the pre-Columbians and respected by the
Spaniards
(C) land, respected by the Spaniards and a pre-Columbian form of ownership
(D) land in which a pre-Columbian form of ownership was respected by the
Spaniards
(E) land that had been a pre-Columbian form of ownership respected by the
Spaniards

The answer given is A. Why? Why can't it be E?