ABSTRACT
Life after reproduction is often neglected when we discuss the past, particularly when we focus on women’s lives. Cross-culturally there are many different ways in which the elder members of communities are considered, revered, and even supported. However, the Victorian period seems to be the originator of how the Western world today approaches aging, often resulting in the elderly being removed from society, into nursing homes and other care facilities. The narrative that aging is shameful and youthfulness is revered is also reinforced in the way we examine the past. Much of the scholarship in bioarchaeology focuses on individuals who died young or during their peak reproductive years; far fewer researchers examine the remains of individuals who lived into old age. A reframed attention to the experiences of those living into old age may offer a glimpse into larger social frameworks of identity, beliefs, and cultural practices, as well as physical resiliency over the course of a long life.
