Why We Need an Archaeology of Old Age, and a Suggested Approach

Abstract

Archaeologies of identity have enriched our interpretations of the past in the last 20 years; however, despite interest in the social construction of age there has been little consideration of the later part of the life span. This is rooted in a mixture of methodological difficulties and social attitudes to old age in present-day societies. This article explores the ways in which old age can be constructed on both a physical and social level, and asks how this might be relevant to archaeological examples. In addition, it proposes a new way of understanding skeletal changes with age which allows us to explore the specific way that old age is constructed in particular archaeological contexts. In this way, it becomes possible to explore the relationship between the ageing process and social change. This is explored using a case study from Early Bronze Age Austria.