The rich Neanderthal man finding site in Krapina was discovered in 1899, at the time of hot discussions about the evolution and origin of man. The excavations lasted for six years (1899.-1905), supervised by Dragutin Gorjanović-Kramberger, a famous Croatian geologist and paleonthologist.

In the deposits, which were over eight meters thick, a lot of human fossilised bones were found, as well as numerous remains of other now extinet-out pleistocen animals (Ursus spelaeus, Rhinoceros mercki, Bos primigenius, Alces alces, Megaceros giganteus and many others.).