Conciseness

The body never teaches git concepts Claude already knows and every section carries skill-specific rules, so it is well above anchor 3. It is 4 rather than 5 because the opening paragraph restates the frontmatter description and the trailing "Files" section re-lists both bundle paths already cited inline — minor trimmable redundancy, matching "minor instances of over-explanation that could be trimmed".

Actionability

Copy-paste-ready commands cover both modes — "python3 scripts/archaeologist.py /path/to/repo src/cache.py --lines 40-72 --json" and the file-history variant with "omit --lines" — plus a glossed JSON field list and a concrete six-part report format. Specific commands and examples cover the common cases fully, matching the 5 anchor.

Workflow Clarity

A clear gather-target → run-dig → read-reference → read-JSON → write-report → follow-ups sequence with explicit checkpoints and error feedback: "If either path is missing, ask only for the missing value" and "If it rejects a path or range, report that error and ask for a corrected target". The skill is read-only, so the destructive-operation validation cap does not apply; this matches the 5 anchor's explicit validation and error-recovery steps.

Progressive Disclosure

The body is an overview that defers interpretation detail to a single, clearly signaled, one-level-deep reference ("Before interpreting the JSON, read references/reading-git-history.md"), and both referenced bundle files exist and are substantive. Content is appropriately split across SKILL.md, the reference guide, and the script, matching the 5 anchor exactly.

Specificity

"Reconstructs why code exists from local git history, including the introducing commit, later changes, current authors, repeated companion files, and likely intent" names the domain plus five concrete capabilities in third person. It lists multiple specific concrete actions with comprehensive coverage of the skill's outputs, matching the 5 anchor rather than 4, which requires minor gaps.

Completeness

The first sentence explicitly answers "what" and the second gives an explicit "Use when" clause with three concrete quoted trigger phrases and an editing context. This matches the 5 anchor (both what and when with concrete triggers), not 4, whose "when" is merely serviceable.

Trigger Term Quality

Quoted phrases "why does this code exist", "who wrote this function and why", and "explain the history of this function" are exactly what users naturally say, plus "before a rewrite, refactor, or risky edit". It falls short of 5 because common variations such as "git blame", "when was this line added", or "git history of this file" are missing.

Distinctiveness Conflict Risk

"Why does this code exist" and "explain the history of this function" carve a clear niche with minimal conflict, and "Runs entirely locally" further separates it. It sits at 4 rather than 5 because "who wrote this function and why" overlaps a plain git-blame request and "before a rewrite, refactor" brushes against refactor/review skills — minor overlap with closely related skills.