BERNALILLO, N.M. (KRQE) – After being closed for a year for renovations, 14 Native American Murals are now back on display at a historic site in Bernalillo. This historic site, nestled in Bernalillo, is home to the ancient Kuakua Pueblo.
“When you come out here, you have the opportunity to see the remains of the village to go into the recreated painted kiva,” explained Instructional Coordinator Supervisor Jessica Coyle at Coronado Historic Site, “And you also have the opportunity to see the true gem of the site, which is our 14 kiva murals.”
Those murals were excavated by archaeologists in the 1930s, but the murals themselves date back to the 1400s and 1500s. “They were excavated from the Kiva,” continued Coyle. “They cut out the walls, and then they were able layer by layer to remove the painted layers from that. So what you’re seeing is six to seven-hundred-year-old adobe paintings.”
Science helping historians learn about Coronado Historic Site
She says the ancient adobe art offers visitors a rare glimpse at the past, “There are some images of people, some images of animals, some images of the nature. It’s kind of giving you a little bit of an insight into what was important to the people who lived in New Mexico at that time and what they valued.”…