Name: Secrets Below Alta: Wild West Archaeology in a Mining Boom Town
Start: 2026-10-22
End: 2026-10-22

Visit Salt Lake

Salt Lake is the place where the Wasatch mountain peaks frame city streets. Sure, Salt Lake's famed for our winter powder ([four legendary ski resorts](https://www.visitsaltlake.com/things-to-do/skiing-snowboarding/) just 30 minutes from downtown), but that's just one season's story. Summer brings families [hiking through wildflower meadows](https://www.visitsaltlake.com/things-to-do/outdoor-recreation/) before cooling off at a Jazz game or the Gateway fountains. Autumn paints our mountain canyons in gold, perfect for morning strolls that end at local coffee shops. Spring? That's when you might spot baby bison on Antelope Island before heading to the Eccles Theater for a Broadway show. Our soaring Wasatch Mountains rise dramatically from downtown Salt Lake, creating a place where every day offers both natural wonders and urban energy. And while we sit perfectly between the [national parks](https://www.visitsaltlake.com/things-to-do/outdoor-recreation/state-national-parks/) with Yellowstone's geysers and Utah's red rock country, the real magic happens right here, where everyone can [discover the history](https://www.visitsaltlake.com/plan-your-visit/about-salt-lake/) of the city as they find their own rhythm between mountain adventure and city life.

Sports Salt Lake

If you love Old West ghost-town history, you won’t want to miss this!  
  
For the first time ever, the mining boomtown of Alta has been partially excavated and what emerged from the ground is incredible. Thousands of artifacts were uncovered, including a fully intact bottle of 150-year-old alcohol, a leather hat, bullets, melted shot glasses, animal bones and so much more. Discover what these objects reveal about the rowdy and genteel past of Little Cottonwood Canyon.  
  
Christopher Merritt received his Ph.D. from the University of Montana in Anthropology in 2010, focusing on archaeological and historical investigations of the Overseas Chinese. Before that, he received a Master's of Science in Industrial Archaeology from Michigan Technological University, where he studied the trade and consumption of Mormon-produced pottery in Utah. Since 2004, Merritt has worked in a variety of professional archaeological settings, including the United States Forest Service in Utah and Nevada, private archaeological contracting in Salt Lake City, and, finally, as the State Historic Preservation Officer for the Utah Division of State History. In addition to the full-time employment with the State of Utah, he is Adjunct Faculty in Anthropology at Salt Lake Community College and an instructor for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.  
  
ACE aims to create an inclusive and accessible environment for all of our attendees; please contact our Executive Director, Sara Gibbs, with any questions regarding accessibility.  
  
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Secrets Below Alta: Wild West Archaeology in a Mining Boom Town

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