Educate about environmental and cultural sustainability through prehistoric collections. The case of the Museum of Paleontology and Prehistory “Piero Leonardi” of the University of Ferrara, Italy

The collections of the Natural History Museums have much to tell us about past environments that can make people more aware of climate change and more resilient to the present and future challenges. In particular, the prehistoric collections show a surprising connection to our present and future through a journey across human evolution. The question for museums of prehistory is: how can prehistory be taught and communicated in the best way, so that the importance of this discipline and collection is understood by their audiences? Today, museums are faced with a variety of tools and strategies to communicate their collections in an innovative and engaging way, making the visitor an active part of the educational process. Achieving this goal means creating communication pathways that stimulate critical thinking and curiosity in the user, also by taking advantage of digital tools that can more easily engage new generations, as well as valid tools for wider accessibility of museum collections. The importance and relevance of prehistory as a historical science lies in its interdisciplinary nature, which allows us to reflect on the beginnings of human life in all its aspects. Learning about prehistory means understanding the different stages of human evolution, from how environmental changes influenced and determined the first human migrations, to how humans exploited the resources of their territory, moving from hunting and gathering to breeding and the Metal Age. These are fundamental themes for analysing and understanding human social and cultural progress, and they reflect current social phenomena such as migration, the exploitation of natural and mineral resources and climate change. For this reason, the teaching of prehistory plays a key role, and the “Piero Leonardi” Museum of Palaeontology and Prehistory of the University of Ferrara is moving in this direction. The mission of the “P. Leonardi” Museum is to enhance its collections through the power of a multi-perspective narrative and digital accessibility, communicating the prehistoric collections related to human evolution through the application of different perspectives and the geographical contextualisation of the findings and the historical context. This methodology can facilitate the logical links between event and the phenomena, stimulating critical thinking and a more dynamic valorisation of the museological collections.