Archaeology at RAGBRAI

In a highly original public archaeology event, the Iowa Archeological Society and the Iowa Office of the State Archaeologist are jointly holding their second annual "Archaeology on the Road" during RAGBRAI, the Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa.

Archaeology on the Road - Iowa Archaeology at RAGBRAI. Photo (c) Iowa Office of the State Archaeologist

Each summer for the last 36 years, crazy people have been spending a week bicycling en masse across the state of Iowa in the absolutely hottest period in July. The route is 250+ miles (this year it's 472) across the pretty but definitely not flat landscape between the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. In 2008, a bunch of hardy Iowa archaeologists decided to go along on RAGBRAI and hold archaeology demonstrations at each of the overnight stops. After a highly successful outing in 2008, they've decided to do it again in 2009. This year, the crew plans to take Twitter with them.

Should be fun!

Planned RAGBRAI events for 2009

Iowa archaeologist Bill Whittaker gives an archaeology talk at RAGBRAI 2008
Photo Credit (c) Iowa Office of the State Archaeologist

• Council Bluffs (July 18, 2009) RAGBRAI EXPO: Booklets, IAM posters, wrist bands, informational materials to hand out, Loess Hills archaeology
• Henderson (July 19): Loess Hills archaeology, especially Glenwood (Nebraska Phase) earthlodge projects and Tarkio Valley ground sloth recovery
• Milo (July 22): Carlisle Clovis blade cache. John Doershuk, Mark Anderson, and Matt Hill (ISU professor who rediscovered the cache and identified it as Clovis, will have materials on display)
• Moravia (July 23) and Packwood (July 24): SE Iowa discoveries, recent investigations at Lake Darling, Ft. Madison, Montrose

Flintknapper Kevin Verhulst at RAGBRAI 2008
Photo Credit (c) Iowa Office of the State Archaeologist

Iowa Archaeology at RAGBRAI

Twitter Feed for Iowa Archaeology

Twitter Search Feed for RAGBRAI

RAGBRAI Official Page