Kiva Fireplace History

Kiva fireplaces trace their long history back to the 8th century. Kiva fireplaces were first used in the underground sacred chambers of the Pueblo Indians. These characteristically Southwestern home fixtures have evolved from simple holes in the ground to full-featured fireplaces, often known as "beehive fireplaces" due to their distinctive shape. A kiva fireplace adds history and warm to a mission-style home.

History of Kivas

The reamins of a kiva can be seen in the center of ruins in Mesa Verde, Colorado.

The ancient Pueblo people of North America first built kivas around 750 C.E. These circular underground chambers were up to 60 feet in diameter. Kivas, still used by the Hopi and other tribes today, feature entrance holes in the ceiling. Once inside, visitors often find a stone bench for sitting as well as a sipapu, a small hole in the center of the kiva's floor that symbolizes a connection with the earth. Kivas built after the 10th century often include a small storage room built onto the perimeter of the circle, giving the kivas keyhole shapes when viewed from above.

Kiva Fire Pits

The first kiva fireplaces were simple pits.

Kivas from the 700s to the present characteristically feature a fire pit, usually in the center of the chamber near the sipapu. In most kivas, the fire pit is a simple hole, though some kivas feature fire boxes made from wooden planks. Oftentimes, an air deflector located in front of the pit helps distribute heat evenly through the kiva. Kivas generally feature ventilator shaft or tunnels that release excess smoke and heat from the fire. Pueblos used deep cists (chambers in the ground usually lined with stone) between the fire pit and the ventilator shaft to collect ashes, according to archaeological investigations of kivas from about 1000 C.E.

Kiva Fireplaces

As mission-style homes began to appear in the American Southwest as early as the late 1700s, the kiva firepit was reinvented as the kiva fireplace. This iteration features a beehive-shaped design with an arched firebox opening. Kiva fireplaces stand in the corner of a room, with ventilator shafts protruding from their tops. Traditionally, kiva fireplaces feature adobe brick construction. This type of fireplace is especially common in New Mexico.

Modern Iterations

Modern iterations of the kiva fireplace typically use masonry rather than adobe bricks, such as cinder blocks. They often feature wire frame or plaster construction elements. Numerous hearth makers offer prefabricated kiva kits; some kits are freestanding while others require some modification to the home. Modern kiva variations add built-in benches -- or "bancos" -- as well as recessed niches, shelves and other decorative elements. Some designs accommodate outdoor use or stand in the center of the room, but most still find their place in the corner of a room.

References

• Manitou Cliff Dwellings Museum: More About Kivas
• U.S. National Park Service: Excavation at Site 16 of Three Pueblo II Mesa-Top Ruins; James A. Lancaster and Jean M. Pinkley
• Soledad Canyon Earth Builders: New Mexico Housing Glossary
• SouthernNewMexico.com; Silver City, New Mexico's Historic Homes; Carla DeMarco; July 2003
• Hearth.com: Q&A: Kiva Fireplaces
• Standout-Fireplace-Designs.com: The Kiva Fireplace: Steppin' Up and Out, Southwest Style