Community Archaeology at Magic Mountain, Golden, Colorado

Author(s): Michele Koons; Mark Mitchell

Year: 2019

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Collaborative and Community-Based Archaeology" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Nestled in the foothills along Apex Gulch in Golden, CO, Magic Mountain is proclaimed to be one of the most important archaeological sites on Colorado’s Front Range. The earliest artifacts date back to 5000 BCE, when the site would have served as camping grounds for mobile hunter-gatherer groups. Later remains, such as ceramics and stone structures, indicate that through time it became a semi-permanent residence that was inhabited until at least 1000 years ago. Although previously explored by archaeologists, in 2016 the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and Paleocultural Research Group initiated a new round of work through a community-based effort. Over the last two seasons (1.5 months total), 133 volunteers helped excavate and give public tours. We served 121 youth from Boys and Girls Clubs and other organizations with programming, and nearly 3,000 people experience hands-on archaeology through public tours. Additionally, we contacted all tribes with historical affiliation with the state and invited them for an organized intertribal day. We had representatives from five different tribes attend over the last two years and communication with many other tribes about the project. This paper will discuss the goals of the project and our work with the various stakeholders.

Cite this Record

Community Archaeology at Magic Mountain, Golden, Colorado. Michele Koons, Mark Mitchell. Presented at The 84th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, Albuquerque, NM. 2019 ( tDAR id: 450604)

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 23102