The early Upper Palaeolithic human fossils from the Mladec ? (Lautsch) cave (German Furst Johann s Hohle) are among the most valuable inventories of the Vienna s Natural History Museum (Naturhistorisches Museum Wien). They are closely associated with the early history of the - seum, the Anthropological Department in particular, and remain at the centre of scientific disc- sion on the biological and cultural evolution of early modern humans. The history of the retrieval and preservation of these finds is marked by circumstances and events that are both fortunate and tragical. Geologist...