Kivalicious - Aztec Ruins National Monument - 5/27/10

Were you aware that there was a reconstructed kiva at Aztec Ruins??? And that thiswillbethelastkivaeverreconstructedbecausethelawshavechangedetcetcetc??

Terribly sorry.......It is just that I heard about the reconstructed kiva for MONTHS before we went to Aztec. Every time the prospected trip to Aztec came up in passing, it was the Kiva that dominated the conversation. This kiva, as Matt described it, was more important than the Great Pyramids of Giza, Eiffel Tower, and Great Wall of China combined. So, it was with some trepidation that I approached the small site located behind a neighborhood in the small town of Aztec, NM.

Situated as previously mentioned, in the back of a small cul-de-sac, it was fitting that it ended in a complex that once served as a neighborhood of its own. From the late 1000's through the 1200's, a considerable group of Central Puebloans built a settlement for daily life and ceremonial worship on this land approximately 50 miles south of the Cliff Dwellers in Mesa Verde, CO. Native American ruins sites are ubiquitous throughout the National Park Service in the Southwest, but each has its own mark. Some ruins are situated at the bottom of a waterless canyon (Walnut Canyon), others literally vertically carved into a rock in Arizona (Montezuma Castle) and this one, which is in a relatively fertile land near the mountains of Colorado. But this one..........has a reconstructed kiva.

The film inside the poor visitor center, was apparently made by the CCC when they constructed the building. Instead of history and the reason for the migration into this area, this film focused only on Native American Spirtualism and was exceptionally grainy.

However - much to our surprise - this little site, which seems the red-headed step child to Mesa Verde and Chaco Culture - is in reality - quite nice. A magical surprise awaited us as we walked around the perimeter of the ruins: the first chance to literally climb through the ruins, and wiggle through the tight passages into the cooler sub-rooms throughout the complex.

The corridors above are narrower than one would imagine and made to represent the average height of the people that resided here at one time, which must have been 4-foot-2. These doorways were LOW. Each one represented a game of "Limbo", as it did take some maneuvering on our part to get through. And every step of the way, we had a huge smile on our face. THIS was fun. It was the first time in our Ruins visits that we felt a part of the site. While we understand the need to keep the general public off of the ancient stone, without this vantage point, it was never really palpable before. Our questions on how they kept themselves and their wares cool in the blistering summers, were quickly answered as we ventured lower into the enclosed, shady rooms. And how on earth did so many people live here? The rooms that look like small enclosures are actually quite roomy when the walls were completed. This was living history........

After crawling on our knees to exit the ruins, my eyes focused in the bright May sunlight and the great wonder appeared before me......This, my friends is the Great Aztec Kiva. Reconstructed in the 1930's by a young archeologist, Earl Morris, who supervised the excavation and rebuilding of an exact replication of what the Kiva would look like. And I may now add after my visit..........it was glorious.

Upon entering down a narrow staircase...everything finally came together from all of the sites we had previously visited, The round ruins viewed at other sites came alive as they could not have before. Native American music had been piped in encompassing the site while the sun peeked through the ceiling.

The cool interior provided respite from the heat, and every word we spoke echoed around the round walls. I acquiesced to Matt....he was right. This was grand.

Where sites run together so often, Aztec Ruins provided a fresh perspective on the history of our nation's first settlers. In the perpetual shadow of the great Mesa Verde, itself a very short drive to the north, and its location which masks the treasures seem like a neighborhood intrusion, Aztec Ruins is a diamond in the NPS system........................Oh, and did I mention the reconstructed Kiva??? Just checking......

FINAL RATING

8/10