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Spruce Tree House October 15, 2008 |
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A Kiva. A kiva is a round, subterranean room that was used for ceremonial purposes, but also - judging by the use of the kiva by modern Hopi and other Puebloans - as a community center. In the center is a fire-pit, a hearth, and in the walls and floor are inlets and constructions to direct the airflow for the fire. The kiva normally has a roof, constructed of a mesh of round wooden poles resting on the raised blocks along the edge, and which is eventually covered with earth to form a sturdy, even surface on ground level. A square opening in the roof above the firepit functions both as a chimney as well as an entrance, through which protrudes a pole ladder. |
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