The Prehistoric Man from Krapina Exhibition in the Archaeological Museum Zadar

Thanks to the monumental discovery of Dragutin Gorjanović-Kramberger on August 23, 1899, the prehistoric man site in Hušnjakovo in Krapina has been written in capital letters on the world scientific map.

In Hušnjakovo, Gorjanović-Kramberger gathered the most numerous and richest collection of the Neanderthal in the world. The collection consists of 900 pieces of human fossil remains, more than 2,000 remains of animal bones and 1,200 stone tools that are proof of the material culture of the prehistoric man from Krapina.

The exhibition represents the rich scientific opus of Gorjanović-Kramberger (books, maps, monographs), fossil remains of extinct animals (cave bear, ancient cattle, steppe buffalo, woolly mammoth and other), with special emphasis on the display of life and culture of the Krapina Neanderthal. 

The author of the exhibition is the curator geologist and director of the Croatia Zagorje Museum, Jurica Sabol.

- We briefly tried to present to the audience the reason for the museum to be on Hušnjakovo in Krapina, and that is actually because of the richest collection of Neanderthal man in the world that was found, excavated and professionally processed by Dragutin Gorjanović-Kramberger. His rich scientific opus is here presented in one segment. Besides spears from the Krapina collection, there are also stone tools as proof of the material culture of the Krapina Neanderthal of almost 130 thousand years ago as well as an intervention corner for children – Sobol said at the opening of the exhibition.

But at this exhibition, which is definitely worth seeing, displays, among others, a very interesting exhibit.

- Some new insights have happened a few years back, and it is actually the oldest jewelry in the world  – 130 thousand year old necklace made of the bald eagle’s claws also being from the Krapina locality – Sobol said at the introduction of the exhibit.

- We are exceptionally pleased of having the opportunity to host such an attractive and interesting exhibition intended for the general public at the beginning of the tourist season–Marina Brkić from the Zadar Archeological Museum pointed out.  

We must add that the opening of the exhibition was magnified by the Krapina Neanderthal – Tribe of the Cave Bear Association that performed the play Kajbumščaki- Back to the Present in front of the Archaeological Museum to the delight of a large audience. 

On the occasion of the opening, a large number of gathered visitors were greeted by the director of the Zadar Archaeological Museum, Jakov Vučić, PhD, emphasizing his satisfaction with the cooperation between the two museums so far and the visit of this exhibition in Zadar. 

To prevent you from missing this exhibition, we must add at the end that the Museum is open every day from 9 am to 9 pm.

Archaeological Museum Zadar

Trg opatice Čike 1, Zadar