Krapina Man was a name given to the discovery of Neanderthals in Krapina in 1899. Despite the name, Krapina Man was not the discovery of one Neanderthal “man” but rather a population of over 75 Neanderthals individuals who died between the age of sixteen and twenty four. In total approximately 884 bones were discovered. This discovery was made by geologist, archaeologist and palaeontologist Dragutin Gorjanovic-Kramberger.
Although the bones and artefacts are now displayed in the Croatian Natural History Meseum in Zagreb, there is a park on the hill in Krapina with sculpted life-size models of Neanderthals engaged in everyday activities such as wielding clubs and throwing stones. The nearby Museum of Evolution has a few prehistoric artefacts and other exhibits tracing the history and geology of the region.
What is a Neanderthal?
The Neanderthal or Neandertal, is an extinct member of the Homo genus that are either classified as a subspecies of humans (Homo sapiens neanderthalensis) or as a separate species (Homo neanderthalensis). Neanderthals have been discovered in Europe and parts of western and central Asia.
Neanderthal skulls were first discovered in Engis, Belgium (1829) by Philippe-Charles Schmerling and in Forbes’ Quarry, Gibraltar (1848). They are commonly described as having broad chest, slopping forehead and no chin. Neanderthal cranial capacity is often thought to have been as large or larger than modern humans, indicating that their brain may have been the same size or bigger; however, a 1993 analysis of 118 hominid crania concluded that the cranial capacity modern humans is slightly larger than the Neanderthal man.