In addition to work with the Çatalhöyük pottery, we are examining the figurine collection with an eye towards sorting out the kind of clay used (natural vs. altered) and the amount of heat used to consolidate the matrix (sun baked vs. fired, either intentionally as part of the manufacturing process, or later as part of the use-ritual). A preliminary assessment suggests that heat in excess of sun baking was used on the figurines. Through experimental studies using clay mined from deposits near the site, we will determine the temperature at which each kind of clay becomes irreversibly heat-altered, while refiring scraps of clay from the excavation to reconstruct the firing atmosphere. This will give us an idea of the highest temperature that each kind of clay can tolerate and still be reconstituted. By estimating the temperatures/atmosphere that the figurines were exposed to and experimentally determining the reconstitution range of the raw clay, we will address the issue of if and how the figurines were fired.