Archaeologists uncover lives of the elderly in biblical-era Israel

Using artifact analysis, architectural study, activity mapping, and ethnographic comparison, Prof. Avi Faust and his team reconstructed the experiences of the household’s senior couple.

By Pesach Benson, TPS

Archaeologists are finally uncovering the hidden lives of the elderly — those who lived, worked, and influenced family life more than 2,700 years ago.

A new study from Bar-Ilan University reveals that older adults in ancient Israel were far from passive figures, challenging long-held assumptions that their presence in households was negligible or invisible.

While research on women and children in the ancient world has flourished in recent decades, the elderly have largely remained overlooked, their lives reconstructed almost exclusively from skeletal remains.

Now, Bar-Ilan archaeologists are using household artifacts to identify older residents and illuminate their roles in daily family life.

The study, published in the peer-reviewed Cambridge Archaeological Journal, focuses on Building 101 at Tel Eton, in the southeastern Judean foothills.

This large, high-quality residence, spanning two floors and home to an extended family of three generations, was destroyed during an Assyrian military campaign in the late 8th century BCE.

The destruction sealed hundreds of pottery vessels and other artifacts in debris, offering a uniquely detailed snapshot of domestic life.

Using artifact analysis, architectural study, activity mapping, and ethnographic comparison, Prof. Avi Faust and his team reconstructed the experiences of the household’s senior couple.

Room B, likely occupied by the elders, was the largest room in the building and the only ground-floor space used for living and sleeping.

Its location opposite the entrance allowed residents to oversee the courtyard and other rooms while avoiding the daily climb to upper-floor bedrooms.

The room contained distinctive finds, including a footbath associated with hosting important guests and burnt cedar, possibly from a large chair.

“The patriarch could have watched comings and goings and entertained visitors, while the matriarch supervised daily household activities,” Faust said.

Adjacent spaces for food preparation, weaving, and childcare highlight the elder matriarch’s central role in domestic management.

“For years, the elderly have remained largely invisible in archaeological research,” Faust said.

“By analyzing household artifacts rather than skeletal remains, we have a more effective way to identify elders and uncover their roles and influence within the family, a perspective archaeology has long overlooked.”

The study shows that older adults actively managed resources, oversaw domestic labor, and maintained family cohesion.

“By meticulously examining small finds within domestic spaces, interpreting them in light of textual evidence and ethnographic data about the life of the elderly, we can give them the visibility they deserve in reconstructing past societies,” Faust said.

Many scholars identify Tel Eton with the biblical city of Eglon, a Canaanite town. During the 10th–8th centuries BCE, Tel Eton became a substantial Judean town, with large domestic structures suggesting social and administrative importance.

The site was destroyed in the late 8th century BCE, likely during Assyrian campaigns associated with King Sennacherib.