• Palaeolithic Archaeology
• Zooarchaeology
• Quaternary Palaeontology
• Human Evolution

Generations of archaeological research in the Swabian Jura, in Southwestern Germany, have produced a large and growing body of knowledge on the Palaeolithic occupation of the region, yielding new insights on the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic. In contrast to other well-known sites of the region, the numerous caves and rockshelters of the Laucherttal, around the village of Veringenstadt, have undergone little investigation. Archaeological excavations were carried out by Eduard Peters in the ‘30s and ‘40s of the last century amid the turmoil of World War II, that led to the partial loss of finds and of all relevant documentation. Few sporadic articles published by Peters report the presence of Middle and Upper Palaeolithic deposits at four sites, Annakappellenhöhle, Göpfelsteinhöhle, Nikolaushöhle and Schafstall, containing lithic and organic artefacts ascribed to the late Mousterian, Aurignacian and Magdalenian. In recent years, the importance of Peters’ work has been revaluated by several researchers prompting further investigations in this area. In this framework, my doctoral research proposes to add new information to the few published data available and to reconstruct hominin and carnivore interactions, subsistence strategies and modes of occupation of Neanderthals and Modern humans in the Lauchert valley during the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic. This will be accomplished by analyzing the faunal remains from the old excavations and integrating the information thus derived with the data provided from new excavations and securely stratified contexts.

Since November 2015: Ph.D. Candidate at Eberhard-Karls Universität Tübingen , Mathematisch und Naturwissenschaftliche Archaeölogie Fakultät .

• Supervisors: Prof. Nicholas Conard & Prof. Dr. Michael Bolus

2012-2014: M.A. in Quaternary, Prehistory and Archaeology, University of Ferrara. Thesis title: The mammal faunas from the Mousterian layers of Grotta Spagnoli B (FG).

• Supervisors: Prof. Benedetto Sala, Dr. Ursula Thun Hohenstein

2008-2012: Bachelor of Arts in Heritage Conservation and Management, University of Ca’ Foscari, Venice. Thesis title: Byzantine pottery imports in the Venetian lagoon between the 12^th and 13^th centuries.

• Supervisor: Prof. Sauro Gelichi

2010-2011: Erasmus Mobility Programme, University of Edinburgh, School of History, Classics and Archaeology, Scotland, U.K.

April 2018: Toniato G, Starkovich, B.M., Conard N. J. Middle and Upper Palaeolithic settlement dynamics in the Lauchert Valley of the Swabian Jura: report on the faunal assemblages and new excavation results. 60. Tagung der Hugo Obermaier-Gesellschaft in Tarragona.

February 2018: Ricci, G., Toniato, G. Il musteriano di Grotta Spagnoli (Foggia). IV IAPP – Incontro Annuale di Preistoria e Protostoria, Ferrara

May 2017: Toniato G., Kitagawa K., Münzel, S. C, Starkovich B. M., Conard N. J. Organic artefacts from the Middle Palaeolithic of the Swabian Jura The Rhine during the Middle Paleolithic: boundary or corridor? Conference.

Toniato, G., Münzel, S. C, Starkovich B. M., Conard N. J. 2018 in press. Middle and Upper Palaeolithic retouchers from the Swabian Jura: raw materials, curation and use. The Origins of bone Tool Technologies. Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum Mainz.

Conard, N. J., Rudolf, S., Toniato, G., 2017. Neue Ausgrabungen in den Felsdäachern Schafstall I und II in Veringenstadt. Archäologische Ausgrabungen in Baden-Württemberg 2016, 63-67.

Toniato, G, Marabini, S, Sala B, Vai G. B., 2017. Revised Bison Skull from the Salita di Orioli Quarry near Faenza, “Sabbie Gialle”, Pleistocene, Northern Appennines. Alpine and Mediterranean Quaternary, 30, 11-23.

Toniato, Giulia, 2016. La Grotta dell’Orso di Pian Rosada nel Cansiglio (BL): una trappola naturale per vertebrati. Bollettino della società naturalisti ‘Silvia Zenari’ of Pordenone, 39, 253-262.

WS 2016/2017- 2: Einführung in die Naturwissenschaftliche Archäologie II: Archäobiologie, Institut für Naturwissenschaftliche Archäologie, Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen.

Schafstall II (Veringenstadt, Baden-Württemberg) August- October, 2017. Dir. Prof. Nicholas Conard, G. Toniato.

Maibulak (Kargaly, Kazakhstan), July 2017. Dir, Dr. Radu Iovita.

Schafstall I und II (Veringenstadt, Baden-Württemberg) September-October 2016. Dir. Prof.Nicholas Conard, Sarah Rudolf and G. Toniato.

Langmaldhalde (Lonetal, Baden-Württemberg), 2016. Dir. Prof. Nicholas Conard, Mohsen Zeidi.

Hohle Fels (Achtal, Baden-Württemberg), 2015, dir. Prof. Nicholas Conard, Maria Malina.

Ciota Ciara, (VC, Italy), 2014, dir. Dr. Marta Arzarello, University of Ferrara.

Bronze Age terramara of Pilastri di Bondeno (FE, Italy), 2013, dir. Dr. Valentino Nizzo, Soprintendenza archeologica dell’Emilia Romagna.

Ancient Roman settlement of Claterna, Ozzano dell’Emilia (BO, Italy), 2011, 2012, dir. Dr. Claudio Negrelli, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice.

Lombard necropolis of Andrazza and the medieval castrum of Cuol di Ciastiel, (UD, Italy), 2010, dir. Prof. Sauro Gelichi, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice.

Excavation of the medieval monastery of Sant’Ariano Island, Venice, Costanziaco Project 2009, dir. Dr. Daniela Cottica, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice.

La Cura Island, Venice, Costanziaco Project, 2008-2009. dir. Dr. Daniela Cottica, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice.