Looks at the cave paintings of Spain and France, examining the origins of these artworks and their creators, Cro-Magnon people who settled there centuries ago, and discusses the theories concerning the meaning of the paintings.

Originally published: Knopf, 2006.

The naked cave man -- The seductive axe; the well-clothed arrivals -- A skeptic admits his error; the passion of Miss Mary E. Boyle -- Noble Robot, an inquiring dog; the Abbe's sermons on the mount -- The great black cow; how to paint a horse -- A stormy drama among bison; the golden section -- A lively but unreliable creation; quaint, symbolic arrows -- The trident-shaped cave; pairing, not coupling -- Three brothers in a boat; the sorcerer -- A passage underwater; the skull on a rock -- Strange, stylized women; the world below the world.