Magic Mountain Site
Encyclopedia
The Magic Mountain Site is an Archaic and Woodland village site in Jefferson County, Colorado
dating from 4999 BC to 1000 AD. The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1980.
The site was named for the property owner Magic Mountain Amusement Park in the late 1950s. One hundred years before the area was the Apex mining district, served by a small stagecoach stop.
in the Denver Basin
, is located by Apex Creek. The ecosystem is a transitional mountain-plains zone.
, prehistoric time periods are traditionally identified as: Paleo-Indian, Archaic and Ceramic, or Woodland periods. The Denver basin is a geological definition of a portion of the Colorado Piedmont
from Colorado Springs, Colorado
to Wyoming
. The Palmer Divide
, with elevations from 6,000 to 7,500, is a subsection of that area that separates the South Platte River
watershed from that of the Arkansas River
. It runs perpendicular to the Rocky Mountains
and divides the Denver metropolitan area from the southern Pikes Peak area.
and projectile point
s were found at the site that helped to redefine past assumptions about the area Archaic and Woodland cultures. Corner notched projectile points found at the site where named Apex
points and were similar to New Mexican En Medio and San José projectile points.
The archaeological evidence was obtained from six layers, classified into zones A-F.
There are some Fremont artifacts found in Zone A, judged to be attained through trading. A small cemetery led to the discovery of the archaeological remains on the site, but much of it had been looted before the excavation.
in 2001.
Jefferson County, Colorado
Jefferson County , whose slogan is the "Gateway to the Rocky Mountains", is the fourth most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. Located along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, Jefferson County is adjacent to the west side of the state capital, Denver....
dating from 4999 BC to 1000 AD. The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1980.
The site was named for the property owner Magic Mountain Amusement Park in the late 1950s. One hundred years before the area was the Apex mining district, served by a small stagecoach stop.
Geography
Magic Mountain site, in the foothills of the Rocky MountainsRocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
in the Denver Basin
Denver Basin
The Denver Basin, sometimes also called the Julesburg Basin, Denver-Julesburg Basin , or the D-J Basin, is a geologic structural basin centered in eastern Colorado in the United States, but extending into southeast Wyoming, western Nebraska, and western Kansas...
, is located by Apex Creek. The ecosystem is a transitional mountain-plains zone.
History
Within the Denver BasinDenver Basin
The Denver Basin, sometimes also called the Julesburg Basin, Denver-Julesburg Basin , or the D-J Basin, is a geologic structural basin centered in eastern Colorado in the United States, but extending into southeast Wyoming, western Nebraska, and western Kansas...
, prehistoric time periods are traditionally identified as: Paleo-Indian, Archaic and Ceramic, or Woodland periods. The Denver basin is a geological definition of a portion of the Colorado Piedmont
Colorado Piedmont
The Colorado Piedmont is the geologic term for an area along the base of the foothills of the Front Range in north central Colorado in the United States...
from Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
to Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
. The Palmer Divide
Palmer Divide
The Palmer Divide is a ridge in central Colorado that separates the Arkansas River basin from the Missouri River basin. It extends from the Front Range of the Rockies in central Colorado, eastward toward the town of Limon....
, with elevations from 6,000 to 7,500, is a subsection of that area that separates the South Platte River
South Platte River
The South Platte River is one of the two principal tributaries of the Platte River and itself a major river of the American Midwest and the American Southwest/Mountain West, located in the U.S. states of Colorado and Nebraska...
watershed from that of the Arkansas River
Arkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The Arkansas generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's initial basin starts in the Western United States in Colorado, specifically the Arkansas...
. It runs perpendicular to the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
and divides the Denver metropolitan area from the southern Pikes Peak area.
Archaic periods
People of the Archaic period were hunters of smaller game, such as deer, antelope and rabbits, and gatherers of wild plants. The people moved seasonally to hunting and gathering sites. Late in the Archaic period, about 200-500 A.D., corn was introduced into the diet and pottery-making became an occupation for storing and caring food.Colorado High Plains Woodland period
The groups of people during this period became much more diverse, were more likely to settle in a location or a couple of locations, cultivate, domesticate animals, make pottery and baskets, and perform ceremonial rituals.Artifacts
Lithic toolsLithic reduction
Lithic reduction involves the use of a hard hammer precursor, such as a hammerstone, a soft hammer fabricator , or a wood or antler punch to detach lithic flakes from a lump of tool stone called a lithic core . As flakes are detached in sequence, the original mass of stone is reduced; hence the...
and projectile point
Projectile point
In archaeological terms, a projectile point is an object that was hafted to a projectile, such as a spear, dart, or arrow, or perhaps used as a knife....
s were found at the site that helped to redefine past assumptions about the area Archaic and Woodland cultures. Corner notched projectile points found at the site where named Apex
Apex complex
Apex complex is a Paleo-Indian cultural tradition of the Middle Archaic period. Apex complex artifacts, dated from about 3000 to 500 BC, first appeared in the Magic Mountain Site near Apex Creek. The Irwins, archaeologists at Magic Mountain, believe that the artifacts are from ancestors of...
points and were similar to New Mexican En Medio and San José projectile points.
The archaeological evidence was obtained from six layers, classified into zones A-F.
| Post-Pleistocene Period | Estimate Time Period | Cultural traditions |
|---|---|---|
| Early Archaic | 4050-3050 BC | Zone F. Mount Albion Complex. |
| Early Archaic | 3050-2050 BC | Zone E. Magic Mountain complex. |
| Middle Archaic | 1550 - 810 BC | Zone D. Apex complex Apex complex Apex complex is a Paleo-Indian cultural tradition of the Middle Archaic period. Apex complex artifacts, dated from about 3000 to 500 BC, first appeared in the Magic Mountain Site near Apex Creek. The Irwins, archaeologists at Magic Mountain, believe that the artifacts are from ancestors of... . |
| Late Archaic | 810 BC - AD 100 | Zone C. Front Range phase. |
| Colorado Plains Woodland Woodland period The Woodland period of North American pre-Columbian cultures was from roughly 1000 BCE to 1000 CE in the eastern part of North America. The term "Woodland Period" was introduced in the 1930s as a generic header for prehistoric sites falling between the Archaic hunter-gatherers and the... culture. |
AD 100 - 1000 | Zone B. South Platte phase. |
| Colorado Plains Woodland culture. | AD 100 - 1000 | Zone A. South Platte phase. |
There are some Fremont artifacts found in Zone A, judged to be attained through trading. A small cemetery led to the discovery of the archaeological remains on the site, but much of it had been looted before the excavation.
Excavations
| Date | Name | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Regional studies. | |
| 1959-1960 | Cynthia Irwin-Williams, Peabody Museum of Harvard University Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country... |
Three burials were found. Her findings were published in a book with her brother, Henry J. Irwin in 1966. |
| About 1990 | ||
Collection
The collection of 2,500 artifacts from the Magic Mountain archaeological site were moved to the Denver Museum of Nature and ScienceDenver Museum of Nature and Science
The Denver Museum of Nature & Science is a municipal natural history and science museum in Denver, Colorado. It is a resource for informal science education in the Rocky Mountain region. A variety of exhibitions, programs, and activities help museum visitors learn about the natural history of...
in 2001.
Historical Signficance
The site is distinctive for its significant collection of Early, Middle and Late Archaic artifacts, burial sites and multi-cultural history.Further reading
- Butler, W.B. (1986). Reinterpreting the Magic Mountain Site. Southwestern Lore. 56(3):8-21.