What is the Thor Heyerdahl theory?

Heyerdahl argued that the Pacific island world had first been settled by a people referred to as the ‘white bearded men’: a highly civilised Caucasian race group defined by their long-headed crania, fair skin, blue eyes, fair or red hair, tall stature, and beards, as well as their navigation skills, stone carving …

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. Charles Arthur, Science Editor, on the molecules that have upset a great adventure.

Who wrote the Kon-Tiki expedition?

Thor HeyerdahlThe Kon-Tiki Expedition: By Raft Across the South Seas / Author

Is Kon-Tiki a true story?

“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 …

When did Thor Heyerdahl write Kon-Tiki?

The story of the voyage was related in Heyerdahl’s book Kon-Tiki (1950) and in a documentary motion picture of the same name. Kon-Tiki crossing the Pacific Ocean, 1947.

Who discovered Polynesia?

The first Polynesian islands visited by European explorers were the Marquesas Islands, first discovered by Europeans when the Spanish navigator, Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira, found the islands in 1595.

What happened to the crew of the Kon Tiki?

The crew made successful landfall and all returned safely. Thor Heyerdahl’s book about his experience became a bestseller. It was published in Norwegian in 1948 as The Kon-Tiki Expedition: By Raft Across the South Seas, later reprinted as Kon-Tiki: Across the Pacific in a Raft.

Are any of the Kon Tiki crew still alive?

A museum official says Knut Magne Haugland, the last of six crew members who crossed the Pacific Ocean on board the balsa wood raft Kon-Tiki, has died. He was 92.

Did Heyerdahl stay married?

In 1949, Heyerdahl married Yvonne Dedekam-Simonsen (1924–2006). They had three daughters: Annette, Marian and Helene Elisabeth. They were divorced in 1969. Heyerdahl blamed their separation on his being away from home and differences in their ideas for bringing up children.

What does Kon-Tiki mean?

Noun. 1. Kon Tiki – a light raft made of balsa. balsa raft. raft – a flat float (usually made of logs or planks) that can be used for transport or as a platform for swimmers.

What does the name Kon-Tiki mean?

Kon-Tiki. 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.

What is the meaning of Polynesia?

British Dictionary definitions for Polynesia Polynesia. / (ˌpɒlɪˈniːʒə, -ʒɪə) / noun. one of the three divisions of islands in the Pacific, the others being Melanesia and Micronesia: includes Samoa, Society, Marquesas, Mangareva, Tuamotu, Cook, and Tubuai Islands, and Tonga.

Who first settled in 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.

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.

Who found Polynesia?

Who died on the Kon Tiki expedition?

Thor Heyerdahl
Thor Heyerdahl Dies at 87; His Voyage on Kon-Tiki Argued for Ancient Mariners.

What did Heyerdahl end up proving?

He found evidence that suggested that seagoing war canoes as large as Viking ships and lashed together two and two had brought Stone Age Northwest American Indians to Polynesia around 1100 AD, and they mingled with Tiki’s people.