Foundations of Human Society · Weeks 1-9

Paleolithic Art & Symbolic Thought

Students will interpret the meaning and purpose of Paleolithic cave paintings and other forms of early human artistic expression.

About This Topic

Çatalhöyük, located in modern-day Turkey, serves as a fascinating case study of an early Neolithic settlement. This topic explores the unique architecture of the town, where houses were built side-by-side with no streets, and residents entered through holes in the roofs. Students investigate the social and religious life of the people who lived there nearly 9,000 years ago, examining evidence of wall paintings, burials beneath floors, and early figurines.

By studying Çatalhöyük, students learn how archaeologists use specific site data to make broader claims about early human society. This aligns with C3 Framework standards regarding the use of evidence to support historical claims. This topic comes alive when students can physically model the patterns of the town's layout, helping them visualize the daily interactions and challenges of living in such a densely packed, unique environment.

Active Learning Ideas

Simulation Game: Building Çatalhöyük

Using blocks or boxes, students work together to build a model of the town. They must place houses touching each other and figure out how people would move across the rooftops to visit neighbors or exit the town.

⏱ 45 min·Small Groups

Generate mission

Gallery Walk: Artifacts of the Mound

Display images of artifacts found at Çatalhöyük (obsidian mirrors, wall art, clay figurines). Students rotate through the 'dig site' and write down what each object suggests about the town's religion, trade, or daily life.

⏱ 30 min·Individual

Generate mission

Think-Pair-Share: Life Without Streets

Students think about one advantage and one disadvantage of living in a town with no streets and roof-entry homes. They share their ideas with a partner and discuss how this layout might have influenced how people felt about their community.

⏱ 15 min·Pairs

Generate mission

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

All ancient cities had streets and central marketplaces.

What to Teach Instead

Çatalhöyük shows that early urban life could look very different from our modern expectations. Modeling the town's layout helps students see that 'civilization' doesn't have a single blueprint.

Common Misconception

Early people didn't have art or religion in their homes.

What to Teach Instead

The elaborate wall paintings and burials found inside Çatalhöyük homes show that daily life and spiritual life were deeply intertwined. Analyzing these artifacts helps students see the complexity of early human thought.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did the people of Çatalhöyük enter their homes through the roof?

The roof entry provided protection from intruders and wild animals. It also allowed the houses to be built tightly together for warmth and structural support, as the walls of one house supported the next.

What did the people of Çatalhöyük eat?

They were early farmers who grew wheat, barley, and peas. They also raised sheep and goats, but they continued to hunt wild animals like deer and gather wild nuts and berries to supplement their diet.

How did they handle burials in Çatalhöyük?

Residents often buried their dead beneath the floors of their homes, specifically under the sleeping platforms. This suggests a strong connection to ancestors and a belief that the dead remained part of the family unit.

What are the best hands-on strategies for teaching about early settlements?

Architectural modeling and artifact analysis are highly effective. When students try to 'design' a settlement like Çatalhöyük, they have to consider practical issues like waste, movement, and defense, which makes the archaeological evidence much more meaningful.

Browse curriculum by country

• Americas
• US
• CA
• MX
• CL
• CO
• BR

• Europe
• UK
• IE
• FR
• DE
• ES
• IT
• NL
• PT
• SE

• Asia & Pacific
• IN
• SG
• AU