Living in the Earth: A Look Inside a Kiva

Living in the Earth: A Look Inside a Kiva. . For over 1500 years, Ancestral Pueblo people built and used underground rooms. Archaeologists identify these features with the terms "pithouse" and "kiva," which distinguish different roofing systems. Pithouses, used from about 300 before common era (BCE) to 1100 common era (CE), supported roofs with four upright posts. Kivas, built from about 1000 CE to 1280 CE, used pillars of stone (called pilasters) around the perimeter of the room to support the roof., Since this structure has six pilasters around the room's perimeter that support the roof, the room is a kiva. A kiva, like a pithouse, was a place for daily activities such as cooking, craftwork, sleeping, and socializing. Kivas provided warm shelter in the winter and a cool retreat in the blazing summer., Climb Inside , You can climb into the excavated kiva at Edge of the Cedars. Follow the path to the great house. The ladder you can see coming out of the roof of the West Kiva is for you to use., Ventilator Shaft: This reverse chimney drew fresh air down the shaft into the kiva., Ladder: All kivas are entered and exited through the roof by means of a ladder., Cribbed Roof: Pueblo architects positioned beams horizontally around the perimeter of the ceiling and then placed more beams on top of these. The builders then covered the timbers with brush and earth to form a flat roof at ground level., Ventilator Shaft: This reverse chimney drew fresh air down the shaft into the kiva. Cribbed Roof: Pueblo architects positioned beams horizontally around the perimeter of the ceiling and then placed more beams on top of these. The builders then covered the timbers with brush and earth to form a flat roof at ground level., Subfloor Vent: A covered tunnel cut into the floor that connects to the ventilator shaft., Hearth: This is the central feature of the kiva. It held a glowing fire to warm the room, provide light, and cook food., Floor Vault: The purpose of a floor vault is not certain. It could have been a storage space. The cut wood planks over the vault could have been used as a foot drum.