Many cultures that developed in areas with few lumber resources relied upon clay and mud bricks for building. Make a wooden brick mold and mix clay and broken straw together with water to pour into the molds. Kids can mix with bare feet or hands. Unmold the bricks and leave them to dry in the sun. Students can also experiment with using various stone shapes for digging and cutting, and discuss the difficulties of using only stone tools before the metal ages.
Murals on the walls of Catalhoyuk are believed to be the oldest artwork painted on a man-made structure. Mix flour with water and colored powdered clay and paint a sidewalk or concrete stepping stones or boundary wall with figures of humans and animals similar to the Neolithic forms found at the Turkish site. For younger kids, use red non-toxic finger paint.
Use air-dry clay to replicate some of the work found at Catalhoyuk. Small pots with thin sides can be pinched and dried. Have kids create small figures like the female figures found on site. Unique to Catalhoyuk are the clay balls whose use is still in dispute. Have the kids create balls of various sizes and try to imitate the Catalhoyuk balls that were created in asymmetrical shapes. Speculate with them about the purpose of the clay artifacts. Kids with less hand strength may need to use a drying salt clay instead.
The archaeologists that uncovered Catalhoyuk in the 1960s used methods you can replicate in your classroom. Make extra clay pots and lightly break them; mix the pieces and have the students try to reassemble the shards into full pots. Use sawdust or clean sandbox sand in large containers to bury "artifacts" that students can uncover with brushes. Teach kids how to mark off a plot with grid lines to systematically study a site.
Visit the "Mysteries of Catalhoyuk" Web site during computer lab time to participate in learning activities and games. The Museum of Minnesota sponsors the site which features cartoon storybook squares explaining about the find and its mysteries and artifacts.