M r. McGarrity is a skillful writer who weaves an intricate plot about misdoings in the Gila Wilderness of New Mexico. The mystery starts with a crime as old as poaching and ends with one as contemporary as today's headlines. The Chauvet Cave by Jean-Marie Chauvet, Eliette Brunel Deschamps, and Christian Hillaire. T he Chauvet Cave was found in 1994, and has been identified as the oldest painted cave yet found anywhere, with artwork more sophisticated than that of later date, and depictions of animals not seen elsewhere. The three discoverers provide a spirited account of their excitement and delight on opening the amazing cavern.
Handsome photographs present a very small sampling of the paintings.
This book, published promptly in 1996, is being repromoted because it is unlikely that anything more will emerge from Chauvet for some time to come. The French government has, as usual, assumed possession of the cave to ensure its protection and careful study. The landowners affected by the procedure do not agree on their property lines but do agree that the compensation offered them by the authorities is inadequate. The triangular row is now in the courts. We Are Today by Steven D. Stark.