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I know there is a curriculum out there where groups of kids imagine an early humans group (based on what they have learned) and create appropriate artifacts and bury them, and then other groups dig up each others artifacts and draw conclusions.  Can anyone point me to this?

I've done that when I taught 7th grade World Geography.

Try these links:

http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/nationalcurriculum/units/2006/4/06.04.10.x.html

http://studyplans.com/Early%20Cultures.htm

http://studyplans.com/social.htm

I did a quick search and found this site for you:

http://www.archaeological.org/webinfo.php?page=10329

It is full of lesson plans from the Archaeological Institute of America. It even has a mystery cemetery project that looks very interesting.

Or you could purchase the textbook and CD Virtual Dig: A Simulated Archaeological Excavation of a Middle Paleolithic Site in France, with Student CD-ROM from amazon.com for $57.

I hope this helps. Good luck!

As a member of the Archaeological Institute of America for 20 years. the website located in post #3 is an invaluable tool for educators of archaeology. To add further insight I also suggest a peek at The Theban Mapping Project headed by Dr. Kent Weeks at:

http://www.thebanmappingproject.com/articles

The site includes several virtual tours through their expeditions, and although it is not an early modern human dig site, it is neolithic in that it is an ancient Egyptian archaeological site. Regardless, the site provides tremendous insight into the world of archaeology.

I hope this was helpful

I've also read that you can simulate stratigraphy and seriation by using different layers of jello and gummy worms, bears, etc. Here's a link:

http://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/teach/images/jellomold.pdf

I've also used big plastic tubs and a mixture of dirt and sand in which I buried a variety of objects.