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The lower jawbone of a cave bear from Križna Cave. The left remains were discovered and preserved by Dominik Bilimek, while the right was probably donated to one of the Ljubljana schools by Karl Dežman in middle of 19. century. Both specimens are housed in Slovenian Museum of Natural History. Photos: Matija Križnar

Two specimens, two stories: Cave bear jawbones from Križna jama

Križna jama is one of Slovenia’s most beautiful caves and is also home to some of the most significant cave bear remains. In 1846, the first explorers of the cave, including the priest and naturalist Dominik Bilimek, discovered a multitude of fossilised bones inside it. Of the remains initially excavated from Križna jama, only a lower jaw has survived to this day; this was stored in Bilimek’s Austrian collection. This specimen was returned to the paleontological collections of the Slovenian Museum of Natural History in 2024.

Almost four decades later, in 1878, more systematic excavations were carried out in the cave under the direction of the Austrian geologist and prehistorian Ferdinand von Hochstetter. Large quantities of cave bear bones were excavated at that time, most of which were transported to Vienna. Only a few paleontological remains were left for the museum in Ljubljana, then led by Karl Dežman. Among these was almost certainly the lower jaw, which still bears the original inscription stating that it came from Križna jama. This specimen only recently arrived in our palaeontological collections from a school in Ljubljana, where it was apparently part of the former geological school collection.

The Geological showcase is a part of International Geodiversity Day 2025.

Author: Matija Križnar

Date of display: 15.9.-15.12.2025

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