arching their wings--like a swimmer poised to dive from a racing block. Then, by lifting the trailing edge of their wings skyward, they frame their face and appear more formidable, the way “owl eyespots” on the wings of certain moths may fool predators into thinking they are too large to take.6

The message of a Paleolithic artist is unknowable, and the message of any work of art can change with time. The modified image (showing details of the head) and this discussion do not resolve the identity of the species, but they do raise the issue and provide today’s viewers with additional information, allowing them to make the comparisons and consider alternatives for themselves.[7]

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Plate 2 Owl in Chauvet Cave, Vallon–Pont d'Arc, France, c.30,000 BCE

Plate 3 Modified Owl in Chauvet Cave, Vallon–Pont d'Arc, France, 1997/2007 (Eagle Owl) by Darryl Wheye

© 2008 Darryl Wheye and Donald Kennedy