Was Thor Heyerdahl correct?

Was Thor Heyerdahl correct?

Fifty years ago, Thor Heyerdahl and the Kon-Tiki expedition appeared to prove that ancient humans could have sailed west from South American to colonise the Pacific islands. But DNA evidence now shows that his theory was wrong.

Did Heyerdahl stay married?

After the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany, he served with the Free Norwegian Forces from 1944, in the far north province of Finnmark. In 1949, Heyerdahl married Yvonne Dedekam-Simonsen (1924–2006). They had three daughters: Annette, Marian and Helene Elisabeth. They were divorced in 1969.

Is Thor Heyerdahl still alive?

Deceased (1914–2002)
Thor Heyerdahl/Living or Deceased

How old is Thor Heyerdahl?

87 years (1914–2002)
Thor Heyerdahl/Age at death
Thor Heyerdahl, the Norwegian anthropologist and adventurer who won acclaim navigating the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans to advance his controversial theories of ancient seafaring migrations, died yesterday. Mr. Heyerdahl, who was 87, died of cancer in Italy, where he had been vacationing, the family said.

What was Heyerdahl’s theory?

The theory, published in full in Heyerdahl’s 1952 book American Indians in the Pacific: The theory behind the Kon-Tiki expedition (henceforth American Indians), claimed that the first settlers of the Pacific island world, in stark contrast to established scientific tradition, had not been of Asiatic origin, but in fact …

Is Kon-Tiki real?

“Kon-Tiki” is based on a true story that follows the incredible story of Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl, who crossed the Pacific ocean in a balsa wood raft in 1947, together with five men, to prove that South Americans – specifically, Peruvians – back in pre-Colombian times could have crossed the sea and settled on …

Who was Thor Heyerdahl and what did he do?

Thor Heyerdahl, (born October 6, 1914, Larvik, Norway—died April 18, 2002, Colla Micheri, Italy), Norwegian ethnologist and adventurer who organized and led the famous Kon-Tiki (1947) and Ra (1969–70) transoceanic scientific expeditions.

What does Kon-Tiki mean?

Kon-Tiki was the raft used by Norwegian explorer and writer Thor Heyerdahl in his 1947 expedition across the Pacific Ocean from South America to the Polynesian islands. It was named after the Inca sun god, Viracocha, for whom “Kon-Tiki” was said to be an old name.

Did Kon-Tiki make it to Polynesia?

There is no doubt that the voyage of the Kon Tiki was a great adventure: three months on the open sea on a raft, drifting at the mercy of the winds and currents. That they did eventually reach Polynesia proved that such drift voyaging was possible.

Did Peru discover Polynesia?

A Peruvian expedition led by Carlos Caravedo crossed the Pacific Ocean in 1965 in 115 days in a raft named Tangaroa, of which 18 days were used by the crew to cross Tuamotus, the Tuamotu Archipielago, making Tangaroa the only raft that has managed to cross that dangerous archipelago of French Polynesia by its own means …

Who first inhabited Polynesia?

The first settlers of the far-flung Pacific islands of Tonga and Vanuatu likely arrived from Taiwan and the northern Philippines between 2,300 and 3,100 years ago, a new genetic analysis suggests.

What did Thor Heyerdahl do in 1947?

Thor Heyerdahl (1914–2002) is one of history’s most famous explorers. In 1947 he crossed the Pacific Ocean on the balsawood raft Kon-Tiki. This was his first expedition to be captured on film, and was later awarded Academy Award for best documentary in 1951.

What did Thor Heyerdahl conclude from his expedition to Túcume?

The expedition to Túcume concluded Thor Heyerdahl’s research into the origins of the first inhabitants of the eastern Polynesian islands. He was convinced that the answer lay in the early maritime culture that he had uncovered in Túcume.

What did Heyerdahl discover on Easter Island?

Among their discoveries was an engraving on one of the island’s hallmark stone statures depicting a boat with sails. It resembled boats depicted on several objects in South America. Heyerdahl believed that the engraving clearly evinced that peoples from South America were the first to settle on Easter Island.

What were Thor Heyerdahl’s fundamental beliefs with respect to humanity?

This was one of Thor Heyerdahl’s fundamental beliefs with respect to humanity. Furthermore, he believed in the capability of people to live and work together harmoniously, all ethnic, political, and religious differences notwithstanding.