Circular Pueblo

In the 1960s, while digging at the Mound 7 pueblo in Gran Quivira, archaeologists found an older circular pueblo underneath the rectangular one. This circular pueblo dates back to around 1300 and was built around a central kiva. People lived there until about 1400, when it was mostly deserted.

Eventually, the rectangular pueblo of Mound 7 was constructed on top of the remnants of the earlier circular structure. Today, visitors can see a deeper room in Mound 7 that has been excavated to reveal the lower circular pueblo. You can check it out during your next visit to the Gran Quivira unit of Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument.