Between 1965 and 1967, Alden Hayes, an archeologist from the National Park Service, led a team of local workers to excavate and stabilize all 226 rooms of Mound 7 and Letrado's Convento. Mound 7 is the largest pueblo mound at the Gran Quivira unit of Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument and is the only one that has been completely excavated. This project uncovered a lot of information about the site, which was continuously occupied for 400 years.
The excavation methods used in the 1960s were quite different from what we have today. The crew relied on shovels to carefully dig out the rooms, trying their best not to damage any artifacts. They discovered that many of the rooms were beautifully decorated with wall murals. To protect and preserve the newly uncovered areas, stabilization work began during the excavation. It was also found that the current pueblo was built right on top of an older circular pueblo.
This layering can be seen in Room 98 of Mound 7, where part of the earlier pueblo is still visible beneath the newer construction. A walking path was created by backfilling some rooms, allowing visitors to access the top of the mound. Many of the artifacts discovered during the excavation are now showcased at the Gran Quivira Visitor Center.
