kiva
Pueblo sacred space
A kiva is a circular underground chamber used by Pueblo peoples of the American Southwest for religious ceremonies and community gatherings.
These subterranean rooms, accessed by ladder through a hole in the roof, remain central to spiritual life in pueblos today.
Archaeological sites throughout the region contain ancient kivas: The ruins at Chaco Canyon include several great kivas.
Ceremonial set of actions
- sacredWorthy of reverence
- initiationFormal admission ceremony
- solsticeDay of maximum tilt
- prayerAddress to deity
offerings · kachina · altar · smoke · incense · feathers · cornmeal · sand painting
Forming a closed curve
- adobeSun-dried clay bricks
- masonryBuilding with mortared blocks
- subterraneanBeneath earth's surface
- pit-houseSemi-subterranean dwelling structure
ladder · ventilation · fire pit · banquette · pilasters · deflector · niche · bench
Ancient Southwestern cliff-dwelling people
- Mesa VerdeColorado cliff-dwelling preserve
- prehistoricBefore documented civilization
- archaeologyStudy of physical remnants
- ruinsDecayed structural remains
cliff dwellings · pithouses · artifacts · potsherds · excavation · settlements · petroglyphs · ancestral
Communal adobe village
- hoganNative American earth dwelling
- longhouseElongated communal dwelling structure
- wigwamDomed bark-covered shelter
- tipiConical hide dwelling
sweat lodge · pithouse · great house · plaza
Collection of people meeting
- councilAdvisory deliberative group
- assemblyConstructing from components
- clanRelated group sharing ancestry
- societyOrganized communal human existence
fellowship · deliberation · instruction · oral tradition · unity · kinship · mentorship · teaching
ritual
Ceremonial set of actions
- sacredWorthy of reverence
- initiationFormal admission ceremony
- solsticeDay of maximum tilt
prayer · offerings · kachina · altar · smoke · incense · feathers · cornmeal · sand painting · blessing
circular
Forming a closed curve
- adobeSun-dried clay bricks
- masonryBuilding with mortared blocks
- subterraneanBeneath earth's surface
pit-house · ladder · ventilation · fire pit · banquette · pilasters · deflector · niche · bench · plastered
Anasazi
Ancient Southwestern cliff-dwelling people
- Mesa VerdeColorado cliff-dwelling preserve
- prehistoricBefore documented civilization
- archaeologyStudy of physical remnants
ruins · cliff dwellings · pithouses · artifacts · potsherds · excavation · settlements · petroglyphs · ancestral · midden
pueblo
Communal adobe village
- hoganNative American earth dwelling
- longhouseElongated communal dwelling structure
- wigwamDomed bark-covered shelter
tipi · sweat lodge · pithouse · great house · plaza
gathering
Collection of people meeting
- councilAdvisory deliberative group
- assemblyConstructing from components
- clanRelated group sharing ancestry
society · fellowship · deliberation · instruction · oral tradition · unity · kinship · mentorship · teaching
- ancient ruinsStonehenge, Pompeii, Colosseum, coliseum, Machu Picchu
- New MexicoSanta Fe, Albuquerque, Taos, adobe, White Sands
- sacred placestemple complex, basilica, abbey, church, chapel
- Southwestmesa, Monument Valley, Arizona, New Mexico, Grand Canyon
- Southwest Desertsaguaro, saguaro cactus, Sonoran Desert, Sonoran, prickly pear
- worship placeschurch, temple, mosque, chapel, cathedral
kivamarketplace
Venue for commerce
shopping mall · office building · factory · warehouse · commercial building
kivatower
Tall slender edifice
skyscraper · steeple · minaret · high-rise · bell tower