MORE ABOUT KIVAS

Usually a pueblo had at least one special subterranean community pithouse — a kiva, sometimes up to 60 feet in diameter. Most were entered through a hole in the roof. A stone bench for sitting lined the perimeter. There was a hole in the floor — now called a sipapu — symbolizing the people's connection from birth with Mother Earth. Near the center was a fireplace. Ventilator shafts on the sides made the kiva more livable.

Cut away view of a Kiva

The first kivas appeared at the beginning of the Pueblo I period, about A.D. 750. While most ancient kivas are round, some are D-shaped or square. From the 10th Century on, many kivas included a small room opening out from the perimeter on the south or southeast, creating a sort of keyhole design. The side room is believed to have been used for the storage of ceremonial items.

Floor plan of a Kiva

Today, the Hopi and other descendants still use kivas (square and above ground in the case of the Hopi) for ceremonial, religious and celebratory purposes. Most archaeologists believe that the ancient kivas were also used for such purposes. They say that women and children were never allowed into the sacred depths. Men would enter through the hole in the roof, climb down the ladder and find a place on the bench. When they had all gathered, they would smoke, weave or dialogue about important matters facing the village. Sometimes they would dance to invoke the spirits, bless the crops or give thanks. Recently, however, it has been argued that we are only conjecturing when we conclude that kivas were primarily religious facilities. The dissenters think that these structures may have been used for domestic or community gatherings, like a town hall. The debate is not over.

You can see a kiva at the Manitou Cliff Dwellings. Reconstructed kivas can also be visited (and entered in some cases) at Aztec Ruins National Monument, Bandelier National Monument and Kuaua Pueblo at the Coronado State Monument, all in New Mexico, and at Mesa Verde National Monument, Colorado.

Kiva at the Manitou Cliff Dwellings

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