Thor Heyerdahl (1914–2002) was a Norwegian biologist, ethnographer, adventurer and political activist. He is mostly remembered for his voyages on modern replicas of ancient boats, as proof of concept that ancient peoples such as the Ancient Egyptians and Incas had the technology to sail overseas. While the scientific community remains skeptical to Heyerdahl's hypotheses of ancient navigation, his expeditions increased worldwide interest in ancient cultures, experimental archaeology, diplomacy and environmentalism.
Destinations
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- 1 Kon-Tiki Museum, Bygdøynesveien 36 (Oslo/West, Norway). Displays Thor Heyerdahl's balsa raft Kon-Tiki, and Ra II, as well as some other artefacts from Easter Island.
- 2 Easter Island. Visited for a 1955–1956 archaeological expedition.
Kon-Tiki
[edit]The 1947 Kon-Tiki expedition tried a hypothesis that Polynesia had contact with the indigenous cultures of South America, or was even populated from there.
- 1 Callao (Peru).
- 2 Puka-Puka (French Polynesia).
- 3 Raroia (French Polynesia).
Ra
[edit]The 1969 Ra and 1970 Ra II expeditions tried a hypothesis that the Ancient Egyptians would have been able to cross the Atlantic. As a manifestation against the Cold War and ocean pollution, the crew had members from several countries, including the United States, the Soviet Union, Mexico and Chad. The Ra failed on open sea, due to a construction error. One year later, the Ra II completed the journey to Barbados.
Tigris
[edit]The 1978–1979 Tigris expedition tried the hypothesis that the cultures of ancient Mesopotamia were able to reach South Asia, and possibly the Indus Valley Civilisation. The boat was intended to land in Eritrea, but due to the ongoing war it was redirected to Djibouti, where the crew burnt the boat to protest the war.