Rebecca Whiting | The British Museum (original) (raw)

Rebecca Whiting

Rebecca Whiting currently works as Curator: Bioarchaeology at The British Museum. Rebecca's current research focuses on dental anthropology, including dental caries, dental wear and periodontal disease, as well as the use of the teeth as tools in individuals from ancient Nubia. Rebecca has also recently researched cancer in individuals from ancient Sudan, finding the earliest example of a metastatic cancer from this area of the world. She has teaching experience in both skeletal and dental bioarchaeology as well as forensic archaeology and has extensive archaeological fieldwork experience in Sudan, Jordan, Peru, Greece and the UK.

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Papers by Rebecca Whiting

Research paper thumbnail of Cardiovascular Disease in Nile Valley Mummies

Cambridge University Press eBooks, Apr 30, 2023

Research paper thumbnail of Early evidence for cancer in Sudan: an advanced example of bone metastases from ancient Nubia (circa 2500–2050 BCE)

The Lancet Oncology

The version presented here may differ from the published version or from the version of the recor... more The version presented here may differ from the published version or from the version of the record. Please see the repository URL above for details on accessing the published version and note that access may require a subscription.

Research paper thumbnail of Cardiovascular Disease in Nile Valley Mummies

Cambridge University Press eBooks, Apr 30, 2023

Research paper thumbnail of Early evidence for cancer in Sudan: an advanced example of bone metastases from ancient Nubia (circa 2500-2050 BCE)

The Lancet Oncology, 2022

WHO reports that cancer is currently a leading cause of death worldwide. An increasing body of bi... more WHO reports that cancer is currently a leading cause of death worldwide. An increasing body of bioarchaeological research offers new insights into the past prevalence, epidemiology, and evolution of cancer. An archaeological example from the Northern Dongola Reach in Upper Nubia, Sudan, is presented in this Perspectives piece. In most ancient examples, only the skeleton remains, restricting the body of evidence to individuals with characteristic osseous changes. Such lesions can be primary (originating in the skeleton) or secondary (metastasising from bone or soft tissues). Each new archaeological case adds to this important body of evidence.

Research paper thumbnail of A Kerma Ancien cemetery in the Northern Dongola Reach. Excavations at site H29

Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa, 2019

Research paper thumbnail of The Physical Anthropology

Research paper thumbnail of Periodontal disease and ‘oral health’ in the past: new insights from ancient Sudan on a very modern problem

Dental Anthropology Journal, 2019

As one of today’s major oral health issues, periodontal disease affects populations worldwide. He... more As one of today’s major oral health issues, periodontal disease affects populations worldwide. Here, methods used to record its past prevalence are reviewed, including the problems associated with the use of measurements to record bone loss. Clinical and bioarchaeological research offers strong support for the Kerr method that records interdental septum morphological changes as a means of identifying gingivitis and periodontal disease. Using Kerr’s approach, four assemblages from Sudan dating to the Neolithic, Kerma and Medieval periods are examined to track the progression of the disease through time. Results show a significantly lower prevalence of periodontal disease and a limited distribution across the mouth in the Neolithic period. Significant differences were found between the sexes at the Medieval sites, which were not present at the Neolithic and Kerma sites. With no patient history and the cumulative effects of a dynamic and episodic disease - only a snapshot of which is c...

Research paper thumbnail of New Insights Into Disease Prevalence in Two Medieval Cemeteries from the Fourth Cataract

Research paper thumbnail of Environment, culture and society as reflected in the dental wear and pathology of the inhabitants of the 4th cataract, Sudan

Research paper thumbnail of Differences in the non-masticatory dental wear of two medieval assemblages from the 4th cataract, Sudan

Research paper thumbnail of New Insights Into Disease Prevalence in Two Medieval Cemeteries from the Fourth Cataract

Research paper thumbnail of Environment, culture and society as reflected in the dental wear and pathology of the inhabitants of the 4th cataract, Sudan

Research paper thumbnail of Differences in the non-masticatory dental wear of two medieval assemblages from the 4th cataract, Sudan

Research paper thumbnail of A Kerma Ancien cemetery in the Northern Dongola Reach. Excavations at site H29

Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa, 2019

Research paper thumbnail of Bioarchaeological report from the excavations from Meroe to Atbara 1994

In: WELSBY, D., (ed.) Road Archaeology in the Middle Nile: Excavations from Meroe to Atbara 1994. Oxford: Aecaeopress Publishing Ltd., 2017

Research paper thumbnail of Ancient wisdom: what tooth decay can tell us about the past

Available from: http://blog.britishmuseum.org/what-tooth-decay-can-tell-us-about-the-past/ [Online]., 2017

Research paper thumbnail of The dental anthropology of Fourth Cataract populations

Newsletter Egypt and Sudan, . London: The British Museum

Research paper thumbnail of Differences in the non-masticatory dental wear of two medieval assemblages from the 4th Cataract, Sudan, Whiting, R., Hillson, S., Antoine, D.

American Journal of Physical Anthropology

Research paper thumbnail of Environment, culture and society as reflected in the dental wear and pathology of the inhabitants of the 4th cataract, Sudan. Whiting, R., Hillson, S., Antoine, D.

American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 2016

Research paper thumbnail of Cardiovascular Disease in Nile Valley Mummies

Cambridge University Press eBooks, Apr 30, 2023

Research paper thumbnail of Early evidence for cancer in Sudan: an advanced example of bone metastases from ancient Nubia (circa 2500–2050 BCE)

The Lancet Oncology

The version presented here may differ from the published version or from the version of the recor... more The version presented here may differ from the published version or from the version of the record. Please see the repository URL above for details on accessing the published version and note that access may require a subscription.

Research paper thumbnail of Cardiovascular Disease in Nile Valley Mummies

Cambridge University Press eBooks, Apr 30, 2023

Research paper thumbnail of Early evidence for cancer in Sudan: an advanced example of bone metastases from ancient Nubia (circa 2500-2050 BCE)

The Lancet Oncology, 2022

WHO reports that cancer is currently a leading cause of death worldwide. An increasing body of bi... more WHO reports that cancer is currently a leading cause of death worldwide. An increasing body of bioarchaeological research offers new insights into the past prevalence, epidemiology, and evolution of cancer. An archaeological example from the Northern Dongola Reach in Upper Nubia, Sudan, is presented in this Perspectives piece. In most ancient examples, only the skeleton remains, restricting the body of evidence to individuals with characteristic osseous changes. Such lesions can be primary (originating in the skeleton) or secondary (metastasising from bone or soft tissues). Each new archaeological case adds to this important body of evidence.

Research paper thumbnail of A Kerma Ancien cemetery in the Northern Dongola Reach. Excavations at site H29

Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa, 2019

Research paper thumbnail of The Physical Anthropology

Research paper thumbnail of Periodontal disease and ‘oral health’ in the past: new insights from ancient Sudan on a very modern problem

Dental Anthropology Journal, 2019

As one of today’s major oral health issues, periodontal disease affects populations worldwide. He... more As one of today’s major oral health issues, periodontal disease affects populations worldwide. Here, methods used to record its past prevalence are reviewed, including the problems associated with the use of measurements to record bone loss. Clinical and bioarchaeological research offers strong support for the Kerr method that records interdental septum morphological changes as a means of identifying gingivitis and periodontal disease. Using Kerr’s approach, four assemblages from Sudan dating to the Neolithic, Kerma and Medieval periods are examined to track the progression of the disease through time. Results show a significantly lower prevalence of periodontal disease and a limited distribution across the mouth in the Neolithic period. Significant differences were found between the sexes at the Medieval sites, which were not present at the Neolithic and Kerma sites. With no patient history and the cumulative effects of a dynamic and episodic disease - only a snapshot of which is c...

Research paper thumbnail of New Insights Into Disease Prevalence in Two Medieval Cemeteries from the Fourth Cataract

Research paper thumbnail of Environment, culture and society as reflected in the dental wear and pathology of the inhabitants of the 4th cataract, Sudan

Research paper thumbnail of Differences in the non-masticatory dental wear of two medieval assemblages from the 4th cataract, Sudan

Research paper thumbnail of New Insights Into Disease Prevalence in Two Medieval Cemeteries from the Fourth Cataract

Research paper thumbnail of Environment, culture and society as reflected in the dental wear and pathology of the inhabitants of the 4th cataract, Sudan

Research paper thumbnail of Differences in the non-masticatory dental wear of two medieval assemblages from the 4th cataract, Sudan

Research paper thumbnail of A Kerma Ancien cemetery in the Northern Dongola Reach. Excavations at site H29

Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa, 2019

Research paper thumbnail of Bioarchaeological report from the excavations from Meroe to Atbara 1994

In: WELSBY, D., (ed.) Road Archaeology in the Middle Nile: Excavations from Meroe to Atbara 1994. Oxford: Aecaeopress Publishing Ltd., 2017

Research paper thumbnail of Ancient wisdom: what tooth decay can tell us about the past

Available from: http://blog.britishmuseum.org/what-tooth-decay-can-tell-us-about-the-past/ [Online]., 2017

Research paper thumbnail of The dental anthropology of Fourth Cataract populations

Newsletter Egypt and Sudan, . London: The British Museum

Research paper thumbnail of Differences in the non-masticatory dental wear of two medieval assemblages from the 4th Cataract, Sudan, Whiting, R., Hillson, S., Antoine, D.

American Journal of Physical Anthropology

Research paper thumbnail of Environment, culture and society as reflected in the dental wear and pathology of the inhabitants of the 4th cataract, Sudan. Whiting, R., Hillson, S., Antoine, D.

American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 2016

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