Ancestral Sites Tour - Convento Kiva

It is uncommon to find a Pueblo religious structure, such as a kiva, in a Franciscan convento. Perhaps the padres believed it would be easier to teach the Pecos people Christianity in a structure where they were used to learning religion. It may have been an attempt to link the two religions and promote a brotherhood between differing faiths. 

This kiva was built before the Pueblo Revolt, between approximately 1620 and 1640. This date range is based on its construction using distinctive black adobe bricks and dating of the last use of the firepit inside. There are only two other examples of kivas within mission conventos, making this a rare and fascinating Pecos mystery.