One big different between people today and people in the past, is that most people in the past strongly believed in magic, while today very few do.

People look for what they are trained to look for.
If you are told by all your authority figures that magic exists, and that there are demons and witches and curses and such, then anything you don't understand that looks like magic must be magic.
Likewise, if you are told by your authority figures that everything is technology, then anything you don't understand must be some unknown advanced tech.

If aliens visited with replicator technology, most people now would look at it and wonder what science makes it work. In the past people would wonder what magic powered it.

If a real wizard appeared and was using a wand to perform real magic, then most people today would look at it and wonder how it worked, and if they could take it apart to see the machinery inside.

One big different between people today and people in the past, is that most people in the past strongly believed in magic, while today very few do.

People look for what they are trained to look for.
If you are told by all your authority figures that magic exists, and that there are demons and witches and curses and such, then anything you don't understand that looks like magic must be magic.
Likewise, if you are told by your authority figures that everything is technology, then anything you don't understand must be some unknown advanced tech.

If aliens visited with replicator technology, most people now would look at it and wonder what science makes it work. In the past people would wonder what magic powered it.

If a real wizard appeared and was using a wand to perform real magic, then most people today would look at it and wonder how it worked, and if they could take it apart to see the machinery inside.

Edit:
Turning the old quote around, any magic is indistinguishable from highly advanced technology.