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The Coronado Historic Site in Bernalillo, New Mexico, preserves the ruins of the Kuaua Pueblo. It sits 16 miles north of Albuquerque along the west bank of the Rio Grande.
Visiting
Coronado Historic Site is open daily except Tuesdays from 10am to 4pm. Adult admission is US$7 (as of May 2023). Ranger-guided tours are available.
History
The Kuaua Pueblo was settled around 1325 by the Tiwa people. Spanish conquistador Francisco Vásquez de Coronado (1510-1554) visited the pueblo in 1540 with 500 soldiers and 2,000 Indian allies. It was occupied by at least 1,200 people at that time and had up to 1,500 rooms. The site was abandoned by the end of the 16th century, thanks to the effects of conflict with Coronado and the Tiguex War in 1541.
The Kuaua Pueblo was excavated between 1934 and 1939 by American archaeologists Edgar Lee Hewett (1865-1946) and Marjorie Lambert (1908-2006). Their work revealed three centuries of development along with six kivas. They also recovered pre-contact murals in one of the kivas, which happen to be among the finest examples of pre-contact Native American art in North America. Coronado Historic Site was dedicated as New Mexico’s first State Monument in 1935, and excavations continue to this day.
Visitor Center
The visitor center was designed by American architect John Gaw Meem (1894-1983). It displays 14 restored kiva murals as well as Puebloan and Spanish colonial artifacts.
Ruins
An interpretive trail winds through the ruins at Coronado Historic Site. The most interesting part of the trail is the Painted Kiva, which was reconstructed in 1938.
Visitors can climb up a ladder to the roof of the kiva, then climb down inside using another ladder. Inside are restored murals dating back to the late 15th and early 16th centuries.
Sandia Mountains
The site provides spectacular views of the Sandia Mountains. The picnic area is a great place to enjoy lunch or a snack with the mountains and the Rio Grande in the background.
