This ancestral Pueblo Kiva is located in Mesa Verde National Park, southwestern Colorado. Traditionally a secluded place for ceremony and worship by the men of the Pueblo tribes, Kivas were built underground or in caves, and included a firepit, with a cleverly designed air shaft to draw in fresh air.

This photograph captures more than beautiful warm color and the drama of light in a dark space. It also pulls the viewer inside, letting us experience the close walls, low ceiling and sense of tranquility.