Magic Mountain Community Archaeology Project

Nestled in the foothills along Apex Gulch in Golden, Colorado, Magic Mountain is proclaimed to be one of the most important archaeological sites on Colorado’s Front Range. The archaeological site Magic Mountain in Golden, Colorado, has served as a crossroads of culture throughout human history. From the nomadic hunter-gatherers who lived there for over 9,000 years, to the Pioneers of the 1800s, to those who bike and hike the area today, there is a collective awareness that the area is special.

The Magic Mountain Community Archaeology Project (MMCAP) taps into that shared sense of place and explores the stories of the people who lived there long ago, while making these tales relevant and tangible to people today. The MMCAP is a multi-disciplinary, public archaeology collaboration between the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Paleocultural Research Group (PCRG), and various local Colorado communities to conduct world-class research at one of the most important archaeological sites on the Front Range. The MMCAP enjoyed two successful field seasons of community-based archaeological fieldwork (2017 and 2018). We designed MMCAP to bring our backyard history into the hands of the public. We accomplish this through public tours and youth programming, teen internships for students in underserved communities and underrepresented groups, community group partnerships, targeted marketing, and an intertribal meeting day, among many other activities.

The Magic Mountain archaeological site, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, is recognized as one of the most significant stratified archaeological sites in northeastern Colorado. Nestled at the base of a sandstone outcrop along Apex Gulch in Golden, Colorado, the earliest artifacts found thus far date back to 8000 BP, when the site served as a camp for mobile hunter-gatherers passing through the region. Later remains, such as ceramics and stone structures, indicate that it became a semi-permanent residence that was inhabited until roughly AD 1000. 

The history of archaeological fieldwork at Magic Mountain is entwined with the Museum. When he was just a kid in the 1930s, longtime museum volunteer Robert Akerley donated various projectile points, bone tools, and other artifacts. Akerley’s donation and his account of the site piqued the interest of museum-affiliated archaeologists Betty and Harold Huscher, who decided to conduct the first formal investigations in 1941. The first large-scale excavations of the site were done in the 1950s by Cynthia Irwin Williams and her brother Henry. Both siblings were Denverites and Cynthia was mentored by H. Marie Wormington, the first Curator of Archaeology at the Museum. The artifacts from subsequent excavations in the 1990s by the cultural resource management firm Centennial Archaeology Inc. and more recent salvage work on nearby trails are all under the care of the Museum.  The renewed work on the site builds on the long institutional involvement with the site.  

In the 1990s, the eastern portion of the site was privately owned and inaccessible for research. The site now sits completely on City of Golden property, which creates new research opportunities. In August 2016, the Museum and PCRG began a new research effort at Magic Mountain focused on employing non-invasive methods to the previously unstudied portion of the site. This phase of research consisted of drone photogrammetry to create 3D topographic maps along with geophysical surveys (ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and magnetometry) to understand what lies below the ground. The results of these surveys indicate that there are likely many cultural features still intact at this site. 

Based on the results of the non-invasive work, in 2017 and 2018, we excavated 61 one meter square units. We focused on areas identified in the 2016 geophysical data as a way to maximize the data acquired while minimally impacting the site. The research goals of this project are threefold: 

1. Increase knowledge about Early Ceramic period (200-1000 CE), which has received less attention than earlier periods on the Front Range. We aim to address many questions about typical site activities, mobility patterns, and intensity/season of use of sites remain. 
2. Understand the older contexts at the site. We are exploring site formation processes and the oldest archaeological contexts, which date back 9,000 years ago. 
3. Magic Mountain’s connections to the larger cultural landscape of the front range, mountains, plains and western slope. 

Over the course of the three field seasons, we located and excavated numerous thermal features, which included earth ovens and fire pits that all date to the Early Ceramic Period. The contents of these pits, including the plant remains, animal bones, and wood charcoal help elucidate what foods were eaten and the types of fuel used.  The analysis of the stone materials on the site helps us to understand where people were bringing stones and tools from, and by extension gives us insight into their migration routes. The deepest excavation units on the site uncovered ancient stable soil, which contains evidence of people using the site 9,000 years ago. Overall, what we are learning from the site greatly contributes to the narrative of Colorado history and contributes to the way we understand what life was like years ago. The results allow to us to begin to develop momentary population estimates, understand settlement patterns, deduce environmental data, reconstruct paleo-diets, identify local and non-local tool types, and explore the range of human activities that occurred on site. 

“I will remember flint knapping the most. It really gave a feel on the time and effort it took to make tools and weapons. I also loved digging with the experts”

—Boys and Girls Club member

“I don't personally know a lot of archaeologists but it was super cool to meet a bunch of new people in this field. It definitely makes me want to look into it as a career.”

 –Volunteer Excavator

As Colorado's, and specifically the Denver metro area's, population increases and puts more pressure on open spaces, it is urgent that projects like this help to preserve important sites through education and heritage appreciation. Magic Mountain is located adjacent to the Apex trailhead. Given its publicly accessible location we recognized an excellent opportunity to engage people in the exploration of the human-environmental history of this area going back at least 9,000 years. Overall, the project is designed to research, to teach, and to contribute directly to Colorado’s heritage program through engagement with audiences who will care about and protect our historic and prehistoric places. In 2017 we piloted the community project and excavation work. In 2018 we received a Colorado State Historical Fund grant for continued research and community outreach at this site. The 2018 season focused on connecting with people who might not otherwise be engaged with archaeology, fieldwork, or the Museum.

• In both years the project offered youth programming. Partners included the Boys & Girls Club of Denver, Sun Valley Youth Center and TeamWORKS/ Teens, Inc. who learned alongside our volunteers about excavation methods and archaeological stewardship. Their excavation experiences was enhanced with age-appropriate programming onsite to help them develop their understanding of archaeological context and techniques.
• Both years we offered volunteer-led tours to the. The tour covered the history of the region while highlighting past and recent project findings. It also emphasized the importance of historic preservation and stewardship and allowed the participants to try their hand at excavation while supervised and guided by trained archaeologists. Tours were free and available to anyone who registered. Over 3,000 people participated in the tours.
• In both 2017 and 2018 we invited representatives from all tribes with historic association with the state of Colorado to visit for a dedicated intertribal day. Both years we sent emails and letters to representatives from all tribes with historical association with the state of Colorado. These letters resulted in visitations from representatives from five tribes (Ute Mountain Ute, Southern Cheyenne, Kiowa, Cheyenne River Sioux and the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation) over the two years. Other tribal members offered feedback and advice via email. Participation and feedback in 2017 led to creating Native American Teen Internships for the 2018 season.
• In 2017 and 2018 the excavation crew consisted of mostly volunteers and university graduate and undergraduate students studying anthropology. The experience of the volunteers varied greatly and training was provided to make sure everyone was on the same page. Many of the volunteers had extensive archaeological experience, and some were professional archaeologists who were excited to participate in the project. The more experienced volunteers were paired with the less experienced.
• In 2018, students from the Museum’s Teen Science Scholar program, a program that aims to engage teens from underrepresented backgrounds in science, and the Native American Teen Interns, were integral members the field crew every day.