Photo Essay: Restoration at Kiva F, Gran Quivira, New Mexico

The grey stone ruins of Gran Quivira are located at the top of the windy Chupadero Mesa on the south rim of the Estancia Basin of central New Mexico. Known as Las Humanas to its residents, the village is one of three in the Salinas National Monument, all three built by the Anasazi after the abandonment of their home in Mesa Verde about 1300 AD. The others, Abo and Quarai, are located about 30 miles north of Gran Quivira. At each of these sites, visitors can see the ruins of the apartment block structures, interconnected rooms built of stone and local wood, and the ruins of the mission churches built by the Spanish in the 16th century.

This photograph was taken prior to beginning the restoration at Gran Quivira. Kiva F is located in the plaza on the north side of Mound 7 at Gran Quivira. It was the largest kiva at Las Humanas pueblo, built for use by the entire community. Excavated in 1923, its long exposure to the elements requires that historical architects continue to maintain the building's integrity and protect it from further damage.