Meltina fossil museum

The Fossil Museum in Mölten is a small geological museum in the South Tyrolean community of Mölten .

history

The indirect reason for the establishment of the fossil museum in Mölten was the restoration of the Bolzano parish church . A quarry was opened at Möltner Joch for the renovation measures, where Val Gardena sandstone was mined. Plant fossils from the recent Permian period were found there in large numbers . It turned out that the quarry area was one of the largest collections of fossil plant remains in all of South Tyrol.

The initiator for the establishment of the fossil museum was Franz Josef Karnutsch, who was mayor of Mölten from 1969 to 1990. The fossil museum should be the right place for the presentation of the finds made at the sandstone quarry.

A new museum is to be built at the site in spring 2020 and the exhibition is to be expanded with a new concept with audiovisual elements.

museum

The fossil museum offers eleven posters an insight into the geology of the Tschögglberg ; Various minerals , fossils and geological handpieces are shown in eleven display cases . A large number of charred plant fossils that are around 250 million years old are on display. Primeval softwoods of the genera Ullmannia , Lebachia , Voltzia and Ortiseia are often found, as well as horsetail (Spenophyta) and Cordaites .

literature

Christian Aspmair: Small geology and landscape history of Mölten . Verlag Pierrette, Mölten 1998, ISBN 88-86097-10-7 (published by the municipality of Mölten).

Web links

46.587222222222 11.254166666667Coordinates: 46 ° 35 ′ 14 ″ N , 11 ° 15 ′ 15 ″ E