Abstract
The fossil content of building and decorative stones is used to communicate a wide range of geological knowledge, namely the history of the Earth, plate tectonics, evolutionary patterns and climate change, to nonexpert audiences. Storytelling and narratives are employed to improve the level of interpretation of palaeontological geoheritage. Seven rock types, five of which are highly fossiliferous, widely utilized in most recognizable monuments of the city of Poznań in Poland are employed to produce a complex narrative that guides the individual from the Ordovician to the Neogene period. The narrative is accompanied by rich visuals (graphic reconstructions of ancient ecosystems and now-extinct organisms, palaeogeographical maps) available in four printed and online leaflets and guides, supplemented by a museum exhibition where additional rocks and complete fossil specimens are shown and by workshops for more deeply interested participants. The narrative component of the project allows the detection of the most common misconceptions related to the Earth sciences and strengthens the engagement of individuals involved in the project. The project is developed further with self-guided walks around other Polish cities.
Highlights
Storytelling and narratives support the communication of scientific phenomena to nonexperts (Dahlstrom 2014)
The potential of storytelling can be high in communicating scientific phenomena that lie beyond the human scale and cannot be directly experienced (Dahlstrom 2014), for example the geologic time scale or plate tectonics
The fossil content and sedimentary structures accompanied by graphical reconstructions and a storyline broaden the palette of possible geological topics and themes that can be communicated by using decorative stones
Summary
Storytelling and narratives support the communication of scientific phenomena to nonexperts (Dahlstrom 2014). Carbonates, sandstones and conglomerates that were deposited in the Ordovician, Devonian, Jurassic, Cretaceous and Miocene seas and in the foreland basins of the Carboniferous and Permian mountain belts are among the best recognized Polish building and decorative stones. Devonian fossils in Permian conglomerates transition from Paleozoic to Mesozoic marine life sea-level change; continental drift, reef development (Fig. 7; Racki 1993); (2) massive stromatoporoid (sponge) limestones formed on the boundary of the organic buildup, in the wave-agitated zone; and (3) stromatoporoid-coral limestones deposited downslope, at depths of 10–20 m (Racki 1993). Similar guides are being developed for Olsztyn and Warszawa (Fig. 1)
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