Unit Type House - Hovenweep National Monument, Utah
Posted by: 
94RedRover
N 37° 23.101 W 109° 04.640
12S E 670213 N 4139319
The area of Hovenweep National Monument here at the Little Ruin Canyon, is considered the Square Tower group in the whole conglomeration considered Hovenweep and the Canyons of the Ancients. This is the largest collection of ruins in the canyons.
Waymark Code: WM5TZY
Location: Utah, United States
Date Posted: 02/13/2009
Views: 6
"On the north rim of Ruin Canyon, a short walk from Hovenweep Castle, is the UNIT TYPE HOUSE, a circular kiva surrounded by rectangular rooms."
--- Utah: A Guide to the State, 1941
Scattered throughout this valley are remains of a dozen or so different structures, indicating a population of some size inhabited this area, and evidence that the nearby mesa being farmed has also been excavated. There is evidence that this area may have been inhabited as early as 250 AD, but these structures that remain as a reminder of the past were built around 1230 to 1275 AD. Some of the structures involve creative structural features and mortars.
The Unit Type House is along the trail at this canyon. It is a great example of the simple, common housing unit of the ancient Puebloan ancestors. The kiva is a combination of a ritual room and "family center" where the families would gather. The living spaces were laid out around this central room.