Understanding changes in human paleoecology during the Pleistocene-Holocene transition, when human cultures and demographics were changing drastically, is a key theme in archaeology. But exploring this connection between environmental conditions and human behavior ideally requires paleoenvironmental and archaeological datasets that are directly comparable. Several sites from the Swabian Jura of Southwest Germany have assemblages that fit these criteria; large microvertebrate assemblages, that are ideal for paleoenvironmental reconstruction, are commonly found in direct association with archaeological remains. Despite this, few studies have reconstructed regionally-specific paleoenvironmental and climatic change during the period from the Late Glacial to the early Holocene (associated with the Magdalenian and Mesolithic in the Swabian Jura), leaving a significant gap in our ability to interpret site use, landscape use, and settlement patterns in the Swabian Jura during the Magdalenian (approximately 16,300 to 12,700 years ago) and Mesolithic (approximately 9,500 to 5,000 years ago) cultural periods.

My dissertation uses archaeofaunal remains from two rockshelters in the Swabian Jura, Langmahdhalde and Helga Abri, to reconstruct three components of human paleoecology during the Late Glacial and early Holocene: human subsistence behavior, human and non-human site use, and paleoenvironmental and climatic reconstruction. I am using macrofaunal remains associated with human activity from Langmahdhalde to reconstruct human subsistence behavior and taphonomic analyses of the microfaunal remains from Langmahdhalde to reconstruct non-human predator use of the site. Lastly, I will reconstruct local-scale paleoenvironments and climates using the microfauna from both sites, as well as, stable isotopic analysis on macrofauna from Langmahdhalde.

Oct. 2016 – present: PhD Student

Institute for Natural Scientific Archaeology, Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, Germany.

Committee: Prof. Dr. Nicholas J. Conard, Dr. Britt M. Starkovich, Dr. Henri Thomassen, Dr. Dorothée G. Drucker.
Student in the Everest Graduate Research Program.

May 2013: Master of Science, Anthropology

University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA. Emphasis in Archaeology.
Research Title: Trans-Holocene moisture change in northern Baja California – the woodrat assemblage from Abrigo de los Escorpiones.
Committee: Dr. Jack M. Broughton, Dr. Brian Codding, Dr. Andrea Brunelle.

June 2010: Bachelor of Arts, Anthropology

Minor in French. University of California, Davis, USA.
Graduated with Highest Honors.
Honors Thesis Title: Suid bone marrow yields and their applications to resource choice in the archaeological record.
Advisor: Dr. Teresa E. Steele. Phi Beta Kappa.

• Instructor – “Einführung in die Naturwissenschaftliche Archäologie II: Archäologie” Summer Semester 2018
  Institut für Naturwissenschaftliche Archäologie, Universität Tübingen.
• Instructor – “Excursion to important Magdalenian sites in Southwest Germany and Switzerland” Summer Semester 2018
  Institut für Naturwissenschaftliche Archäologie, Universität Tübingen.
• Instructor – “Introduction to Zooarchaeology" September 11, 2017
  Paleodietary Workshop, Institut für Ur- und Frühgeschichte und Archäologie des Mittelalters, Universität Tübingen.

• 2016, 2017, 2018: Langmahdhalde Excavation
  Lonetal, Germany. Ältere Urgeschichte und Quartärökologie, Universität Tübingen.
• June – July 2017: Hohle Fels Excavation
  Achtal, Germany. Ältere Urgeschichte und Quartärökologie, Universität Tübingen.
• October 2016: Schaftstall Excavation
  Veringenstadt, Germany. Universität Tübingen.
• June – July 2011: Zooarchaeology and Field Ecology Field Course
  Eagle Lake Field Station, CA, USA. Department of Anthropology, University of Utah.
• August – September 2010: Abri Peyrony Excavation
  Combe-Capelle, France. Department of Human Evolution, Max Plank Institute.
• June – July 2008: UC Davis Archaeological Field School
  Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA, USA. Department of Anthropology, University of California, Davis.

• Wong, Gillian L., Starkovich, B. M., Conard, N. J. 2017. Human Subsistence and Environment during the Magdalenian at Langmahdhalde: Evidence from a new Rock Shelter in the Lone Valley, Southwest Germany. Mitteilungen der Gesellschaft für Urgeschichte 26: 103-123.
• Edwards, Gillian L., and Steele, T. E. 2011. Suid Bone Marrow Yields and How They May Influence Resource Choice. Journal of Taphonomy 9(3): 163-179.

• Wong, Gillian. 2017. Archaeologist: Stop the escalation of disregard for protections on national parks, Valley’s historic places. Fresno Bee, Valley Voices. Dec. 29, 2017.
• Wong, Gillian. 2017. We need to fight for our land. Bakersfield Californian, Community Voices. Dec. 26, 2017.
• Edwards, Gillian, L. 2010. Suid Bone Marrow Yields and Their Applications to Resource Choice and the Archaeological Record. Explorations. University of California, Davis.

• April 2018: 60th Annual Meeting of the Hugo Obermaier Society
  Tarragona, Spain. “Human Subsistence and Environment in the Lone Valley of Southwestern Germany during the Magdalenian.”
• Nov. 2017: Annual meeting of Students in Evolution and Ecology
  University of Tübingen, Germany. “Human Subsistence and Environment during the Magdalenian at Langmahdhalde: Preliminary Evidence from a Rock Shelter in the Lone Valley, Southwest Germany.”
• Sept. 2017: 2nd Annual Paläolithisches und Mesolithisches Doktorandentreffen
  “Methods for a multi-faceted archaeofaunal approach to reconstructing site use during the Pleistocene-Holocene transition in the Swabian Jura, Southwest Germany.”
• June 29, 2017: World Cultural Heritage Lecture Series.
  Urgeschichtliches Museum Blaubeuren, Germany. “New Data from the Lone Valley in Southwest Germany: The Faunal Assemblage from Langmahdhalde”
• April 2017: 59th Annual Meeting of the Hugo Obermaier Society
  “New data from the Lone Valley in Southwest Germany: The faunal assemblage from Langmahdhalde.” (Poster)
• Sept. 2014: 12th International Conference of Archaeozoology
  “Holocene ENSO Variation Affects Woodrat (Neotoma) Body-Size and Species-Composition in Northern Baja California.”
• April 2013: 78th Annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology
  “Trans-Holocene Climate Change in Northern Baja California: The Woodrat Assemblage from Abrigo de los Escorpiones.” (Poster)
• July 2012: Stanley J. Olsen Memorial Eagle Lake Zooarchaeology Conference
  “Trans-Holocene Moisture Change in Northern Baja California: The Woodrat Assemblage from Abrigo de los Escorpiones.”
• May 2010: Undergraduate Research Scholarship and Creative Activities Conf.
  “Pig Bone Marrow Yields: Their Applications to Resource Choice and the Archaeological Record.”

• Feb. 2017 – March 2018: Lab Assistant
  Isotope Lab, Biogeologie Arbeitsgruppe, Fachbereichs Geowissenschaften, Universität Tübingen.
• August 2011 – May 2012: Research Assistant
  Zooarchaeology Lab, Department of Anthropology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City.

• August 2013 – May 2014: Cultural Resources Crew Chief
  SWCA Environmental Consultants, Denver, CO, USA.
• April – July 2013: Cultural Resources Assistant Field Manager
  SWCA Environmental Consultants, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
• May 2012 – April 2013: Cultural Resources Field/Lab Technician
  SWCA Environmental Consultants, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.

• Hugo Obermaier Society
• Association for Environmental Archaeology
• International Council for Archaeozoology
• Society for American Archaeology