What Is a Kiva Fireplace?

A kiva fireplace is a round, indoor fireplace often found in pueblos of New Mexico and Arizona, traditionally used by Native Americans for cooking and baking bread, providing heat, and ceremonial spiritual practices.

Parts of a Kiva Fireplace

- Fire Pit: The depression at the center where fuel would be placed and burned

- Chimney Hole: The opening at the top allows smoke and hot air to exit

- Baffle Plate: A slab or stone placed above the fire pit that controls smoke and heat within the walls

- Raised Bench: Located around the fire pit, offering seating and cooking surfaces

Features

- Constructed with adobe bricks or native stone

- Embedded clay pots and niches in the walls for storage

- Wood-fired fueled with logs, sticks, juniper, and other natural materials

Cultural Significance

- Spiritual significance in Native American religious ceremonies, prayers, storytelling

- Often used as community meeting places and spaces for socializing

- Represents a connection to ancestral spirits and the natural world