bender studied for a phd on the neolithic of northern france at the institute of archaeology, london. from 1967-68 she was assistant professor at the university of illinois, chicago. in 1972 bender was a lecturer in the department of extra-mural studies of london university. her first monograph "farming in prehistory", published in 1975, was described as a 'painstaking compilation' of archaeological evidence on the development of agriculture.