Since the core material from the ENIGMA project comes from the site of Krapina, how could we not visit this place? As ENIGMA is stationed in Trieste, right on the border with Slovenia, a trip to Krapina is just a few hours’ drive away. So, on one of these balmy, hot summer days, we hopped into the car for a mini road trip to pay homage to the site.
Krapina, located in northern Croatia, holds a significant place in the history of paleoanthropology. During excavations in 1899 and 1900, Dragutin Gorjanović-Kramberger uncovered over 800 fossils of early Neanderthals from a rock shelter in a sandstone cliff just outside the town. This collection remains one of the largest samples of fossil hominins ever discovered, even more than 120 years later.
The Krapina Neanderthals lived around 130,000 to 120,000 years ago, during the last interglacial period when the climate in Croatia was slightly warmer than today. The skeletal remains, representing over 25 individuals, are highly fragmented. Some individuals are known only from a few teeth, while others are represented by various broken bones mixed with those of other individuals.
The Krapina Neanderthal site is of enormous paleoanthropological importance, but since 2010, it also features a modern museum that helps visitors fully understand the site. The museum is located near Hušnjakovo Hill, the actual site where the famous Neanderthal remains were discovered over a century ago. Standing at this historic site as an archaeologist was profoundly moving, knowing that these remains continue to provide key insights into our ancient relatives.
The museum itself is architecturally impressive, designed to blend seamlessly into the natural landscape, almost as if it’s part of the hill itself. The design is both functional and symbolic, with the entrance hall resembling a cave shelter opening into the light and a spiral structure inside representing the timeline of human evolution. This thoughtful integration of design and content makes the visit both educational and immersive.
One of the highlights of the museum is its modern approach to displaying the findings. Many exhibits are interactive and feature virtual displays and 3D models, allowing visitors to engage directly with 3D versions of the skeletal remains. These digital reconstructions offer insights that traditional displays often cannot match. It’s fascinating to see how technology is used to bring the ancient past to life, making it accessible and engaging for all visitors, regardless of their prior knowledge of paleoanthropology. Perhaps ENIGMA could contribute some cutting-edge virtual materials to enhance these displays even further!
(Say Hello to my (not so) Little Friend’ – A big welcome at the entrance, and the actual site of Krapina)