During this year’s RAGBRAI, spectators can sit and enjoy watching the cyclists ride by, while at the same time learning a bit about the state’s archaeological history.

Made up of four professional archaeologists from the Office of the State Archaeologist, Team Archaeology will ride the whole of RAGBRAI from Sioux City to Davenport.

At every stop, the members will present facts about that particular area’s archaeological history.

“The team is very enthusiastic about the ride,” team captain Alan Hawkins said.

At each stop, they will hand out booklets and encourage people to talk to them about the archaeological history of the state.

The ride will be the team’s eighth year on RAGBRAI, and Hawkins’ seventh year biking across the state as part of the event.

The team will highlight many different sites that lie along the route this year. The members will also have artifacts from these sites on display, Hawkins said.

“We want to put an emphasis on educating the public about the state’s archaeological history,” said Elizabeth Reetz, the State Archaeologist Office education director and a team rider.

Riding in RAGBRAI isn’t free, so the team has been trying to raise money for through sponsors, including the university, as well as donations from private individuals, she said.

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