Crocodiles, sharks and turtles: the urban geo-palaeontological heritage of Cagliari (Italy)

Daniel Zoboli, Marco Pistis, Gabriela M. Afrasinei, Giancarlo Nonnoi, Gian Luigi Pillola

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

11 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

In this paper, we report on the first project on the promotion of urban geoheritage in Cagliari, the capital of the Autonomous Region of Sardinia (Italy). We briefly address the history of geo-palaeontological research in the city area and outline the main phases of development in the history of Cagliari’s geo-palaeontological museum. Geotourism is an efficient method of bringing geosciences to a wider audience. For this project, we compiled a geoitinerary of the main lithotypes and fossils present within the urban territory. Miocene lithotypes are the most important materials in the edification of the Cagliari’s old town, and in the past, the quarrying activity favoured the geology knowledge of the area. The presence of abandoned quarries and natural outcrops in parks, public gardens, on the nearby coastline, and also of fossils exposed in ashlars of historic buildings, made Cagliari an excellent example to valorise the geo-palaeontological heritage using geotourism. This project showcases the importance of knowledge transfer and non-technical communication methods by converting highly technical aspects into accessible and engaging information dissemination to a wide range of audience types, including non-specialised ones.

Original languageEnglish
Article number52
JournalGeoheritage
Volume13
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sep 2021

Keywords

  • Geoconservation
  • Geological heritage
  • Geotourism
  • Museography
  • Sardinia
  • Teaching

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