Cantarias e pedreiras históricas do Rio de Janeiro: instrumentos potenciais de divulgação das Ciências Geológicas

Abstract

Historic quarries in Rio de Janeiro as a stimulus to the study of Geological Sciencies: The use of rocks as the main source of raw material for building construction was a peculiar characteristic of the Rio de Janeiro city and surroundings, since its founding until the nineteenth century. The historical quarries have influenced the urban layout and the formation of settlements, with connections in all economic strata. Nowadays, the extracted material is exposed at the historical part of the City, known as Rio Antigo (Old Rio) where is possible to see various examples of rock use. The paper summarizes the historical role played by the quarries in the city and proposes ways to use this heritage as a way of encouraging the dissemination of science, the study of geology and the recognition of the link between Man and rock.