Pottery Mound

Pottery Mound is an archaeological site near Los Lunas with the remains of an adobe pueblo featuring multiple kivas and scattered pottery fragments across the surface. The location sits along the Rio Puerco and displays the typical layout of residential structures and ceremonial chambers from this period.

Between 1350 and 1500, this location grew into an important center for pottery production and religious ceremonies in the Rio Grande Valley. The settlement served as a significant gathering place where people from different communities came together.

The seventeen kivas at this location once displayed wall paintings of people, deities, and animals that held deep meaning in Puebloan culture. Visitors can learn about these artistic expressions through museum exhibits that preserve the visual details of these ancient ceremonial spaces.

The original site is difficult to access, but the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology preserves and displays artifacts from extensive excavations conducted between 1954 and the 1980s. Visitors can view the finds and documentation in the museum collection to learn about this location's history.

This location holds the largest collection of prehistoric kiva murals in North America, spread across eleven separate ceremonial chambers. This concentration of artistic works offers a unique window into the spiritual and artistic world of Puebloan peoples.

Location: New Mexico

GPS coordinates: 34.80610,-106.73300

Latest update: December 14, 2025 14:24