Old Age

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Old Age

Modern and Ancient Definitions. Old age in American society, especially the modern view of when the period starts, has shifted dramatically in the last century. At the beginning of the twentieth century, life expectancy was approximately forty-four years, but at the start of the following century, it had lengthened to roughly seventy-two years. The useful definitions of old age are not expressed in years but rather in changes of function in society and the onset of biological decline. The Egyptians defined old age as the time when a person could no longer perform the functions of an active adult and when they experienced physical infirmity. Life expectancy at birth was roughly thirty-five years, but for those living beyond five years, life expectancy was higher. At age forty a person usually was considered quite old.

Infirmities. Egyptian texts deal specifically with the kinds of infirmities associated with old age. Ptahhotep, the Dynasty 5 (circa 2500–2350 b.c.e.) vizier who is credited with writing a wisdom text, described the old as feeble, tired, silent, and achy. He says the old are unable to remember the past, cannot taste their food, and have pain whether standing or sitting. The Egyptologists Rosalind and Jacobus Janssen have observed that the Egyptians emphasized the disadvantages of old age rather than noting the valuable wisdom acquired by the old, as is true in other traditional societies.

Terms for Old Age. The Egyptians used three different words—yau, teni, and kehkeh—for old age, but the nuances of these different terms are not clear. The determinatives used as the last hieroglyphic sign in these words are both a man leaning over supported by a stick and the pustule, which was also used as the determinative for the word for disease. These determinatives, meant to place the words into a general class of ideas, also reflect the idea that the Egyptians thought of old age in terms of physical decline.

Reliefs and Paintings. Depictions of the elite in old age are rare, while old workmen are more often portrayed in reliefs and paintings. Egyptian tombs, the source of most relief sculptures and paintings depicting people, were intended to rejuvenate the deceased for rebirth into the next world. It is unlikely that the deceased would want to be represented as old. The Janssens have suggested that representations of portly men in their tombs might be old people. Certainly such representations portray elite men at the height of their successful careers. In that sense they might be considered old. A rare New Kingdom (circa 1539–1075 b.c.e.) representation of an old nobleman, located now in the Brooklyn Museum, shows a man with a wrinkled forehead, deep wrinkles around the nose and mouth, a double chin, prominent collarbone, and a thin arm and wrist stretched out in greeting. Old servants or workers are

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often shown as bald, portly, and naked. Sometimes the legs appear to be misshapen.

Statuary. The statuary of kings and other noblemen sometimes portrayed the subjects as aged. The most famous examples come from the reign of Senwosret III (circa 1836–1818 b.c.e.). Senwosret’s face is wrinkled and careworn, yet his body in the same statues is regularly shown as young, slim, and muscular. This same style was revived in late Dynasty 25 (circa 760–656 b.c.e.) and early Dynasty 26 (664–525 b.c.e.) for portraits of the Mayor of Thebes, Montuemhet.

Living With Family. Texts from Dynasty 12 (circa 1938–1759 b.c.e.) suggest that elderly mothers sometimes lived in the same household with their eldest sons after the death of their husbands. A census from the town of Kahun in Lower (northern) Egypt traces the changes in the household of a soldier named Hori. In the first census, Hori, his wife Shepset, and their infant son Sneferu, are living alone. In the next census, which occurred an unknown number of years later, significant changes had occurred. Now Hori’s mother, along with her five daughters, had joined Hori’s household. Probably this move occurred after the death of Hori’s father. In the next census, Sneferu is now the head of the household that consists of his widowed mother, his grandmother, and two of his aunts. The second text is a letter from a man named Heqanakht to his family. The household consists of his mother; his aunt; his married son, whose children also live with him; four younger, unmarried

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sons; a second wife; and several servants. Both Hori and Heqanakht belonged to nonelite families. Clearly, for the majority of people, aged or widowed parents lived together with them.

Ideal Old Age. Many texts from ancient Egypt refer to reaching the ideal age one hundred and ten years. Often such an age is described as “beautiful,” probably meaning “whole” or “healthy.” No Egyptians are known to have reached such a great age, though a few historical figures such as Amenhotep son of Hapu, builder for Amenhotep III (circa 1390–1353 b.c.e.), lived into his nineties. Neferkare Pepy II is thought to have reigned ninety-four years (circa 2288–2224/2194 b.c.e.) and perhaps lived until his one hundredth birthday.

Staff of Old Age. The expression “staff of old age” referred to the son of a retired man. Upper-class Egyptians hoped that their sons would follow them in office. When a man reached the point that he could no longer perform all the functions of an office, he could request that his son be appointed a “staff of old age.” The son could then perform many of the functions of the office while the father still retained the title and presumably controlled the income from an office. The image, of course, is related to the tall sticks used by the elderly in Egypt to help support themselves. This title is attested in Dynasty 12 and Dynasty 18 (circa 1539–1295/1292 b.c.e.).

Pensions. Pensions took many forms in Egypt, none of which exactly correlate with modern ideals. Older laborers at Deir el Medina who could no longer work received a reduced ration. They probably were supported by a son who had become a member of the work crew. Soldiers in the reign of Ramesses II (circa 1279–1213 b.c.e.) received grants of land at the close of their service. This land, which they were required to work themselves, provided an income in old age. Higher officials received a kind of pension in the form of rations paid to their tombs. These rations might not have actually supported the family of the deceased though they did support the cult of a high official. Other high army officials became priests. A priestly position probably was less physically demanding than army life and the income could support an older person. In another unusual case, a standard bearer on a navy ship was appointed police chief by Thutmose IV (circa 1400–1390 b.c.e.) in order to provide for his old age.