Description

Fire Temple, formerly named Painted House due to the large number of pictographs and red and white clay-plastered walls found there, is one of only two sites occupied during Pueblo III (AD 950-1300) at Mesa Verde National Park that is believed to be a Great Kiva. Located 100 feet below the mesatop and 25 feet above the Fewkes Canyon floor, Fire Temple consists of a 42 feet-long interior court referred to by many modern Hopi people and archaeologists as a Kiva for its enclosed ceremonial nature (the ceiling reaches a maximum height of about 10 feet) and other architectural features. The court is flanked by ruins of two large buildings on either end, flat open areas to the sides of both these structures, and foundations of another structure further to the west with an unexcavated circular kiva. These constructions entirely fill the 23 feet-deep cliff alcove in which it is situated. At the center of the court is a circular fire pit measuring 4 feet 9 inches in diameter, which is thought to have contained a flame for Fire Ceremonies, tended to by keepers who resided in the two nearby alcoves containing New Fire House. Some of the buildings surrounding the fire pit are elaborately decorated with red figures of humans and animals, while a masonry wall to the back of the alcove has painted designs reminiscent of the geometric images and symbols found on the pottery of the Puebloan peoples who lived in the area. With no evidence of domestic habitation, Fire Temple was classified by archaeologist J.W. Fewkes as being a religious edifice related to Sun Temple, located on the mesa top 500 yards to the east and the only other recognized structure in Mesa Verde believed to have been wholly for ceremonial use. But as a cliff structure, Fire Temple is different in plan from the free standing Sun Temple. Moreover, Fire Temple's Kiva is not round in plan. Instead it has a distinct rectalinear layout unlike any other Kivas at Mesa Verde. Due to preservation concerns, Fire Temple is not accessible to visitors today but is viewable from the mesa top.

Media Id: media_MES_20071219_194330 Date Uploaded: 2007-12-19 19:43:30 Points: 1368203