"The Neanderthal is not only the first inhabitant of Slovakia, but also of Upper Nitra," began Dominika Andreánska, co-author of the exhibition at the Upper Nitra Museum in Prievidza, talking about the interesting aspects of our prehistoric history in the region. It is Hornonitria that has natural conditions that were so favorable even in difficult times that they enabled survival "in the wild" during the last ice age.

"We have specific locations here that are related to travertine and hot springs, for example the Provost Cave or the castle moat in Bojnice. They are one of the most important Paleolithic sites in Slovakia. This means that a Neanderthal lived and worked here." A number of objects, especially stone tools, came from the Provost's Cave, which visitors could learn about in the museum. Our prehistoric ancestors had to work the stone into the desired shape so that it would continue to serve them for a long time. They liked it for its durability and practicality. However, according to Dominika Andreánská, it is not excluded that they also used objects made of organic materials. Unfortunately, they have not been preserved for our generations. "We are presenting a collection of working tools made from local raw materials, from andesite." The Hornitrian museum also "welcomed" the skeletal remains of Neanderthals, which were not found in the territory of the region, but were found in Slovakia. In Bojnica's Prepoštská cave, however, even after thousands of years, it is literally living in prehistoric times.

The cave under the castle walls was a refuge for vandals for a long time. Bojnice fans of history cleaned the space, enriched it with period attractions and turned it into an educational and entertaining place for young and old lovers of prehistoric times. It is worth mentioning the night tour with torches, which is prepared in the Museum of Prehistory in good weather during the tourist season. Visiting the place where the ancestors of today's humans lived, two percent of which we still carry in our DNA, can be a truly fascinating feeling. Despite the fact that no Neanderthal skeletal remains were discovered in Bojnice, it is a Paleolithic site of European importance. Under the romantic castle, however, archaeologists found the bones of a mammoth, a cave lion, a pronghorn or a rhinoceros. According to the skeletal findings of animals, experts conclude that the Neanderthals formed a well-organized hunting society here. The eleven-meter-long cave with a massive overhang above the entrance was an ideal refuge for them not only from bad weather.

photo: Hornitrian Museum in Prievidza, Museum of Prehistory Bojnice