Kon-Tiki
Kon-Tiki refers to both the raft used by Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl and his famous voyage across the Pacific Ocean in 1947. Heyerdahl embarked on this journey to challenge the prevailing theories of migration, proposing that the inhabitants of the Pacific islands could have originated from the west coast of South America rather than from Southeast Asia. He and his crew sailed the primitive raft, named after a legendary Polynesian leader, for 101 days, covering 4,300 miles from Peru to the Tuamotu islands in French Polynesia. Heyerdahl documented this expedition in his book "Kon-Tiki: Across the Pacific by Raft," published in 1948, which became a bestseller and significantly raised public interest in anthropology and archaeology. The story was further popularized by a 1951 documentary film that won an Academy Award. Although many anthropologists criticized Heyerdahl's theories, viewing them as unsupported by archaeological evidence, his work sparked discussions about cultural diffusion and migration. In 2004, a team of scientists, including Heyerdahl's grandson, planned to reenact the historic voyage, highlighting its lasting impact on exploration and cultural studies.
Kon-Tiki
Identification Firsthand account of a trans-Pacific voyage in a primitive vessel
Date Published in the United States in 1950
Author Thor Heyerdahl
Heyerdahl’s vivid account of his courageous voyage became a best-seller and sparked a debate about the peopling of the Pacific islands.
Key Figures
Thor Heyerdahl (1914-2002), author and explorer
While conducting research in the South Pacific, Norwegian Thor Heyerdahl came to believe that, contrary to accepted theory, the inhabitants of the Pacific islands had migrated westward from the coast of South America. He demonstrated the possibility of such a migration by sailing a primitive raft (named Kon-Tiki after a legendary Polynesian leader) with five crewmen from Peru to the Tuamotu islands in French Polynesia in 1947.
Heyerdahl published Kon-Tiki: Across the Pacific by Raft, an account of his voyage, in Norway in 1948 and in the United States in 1950. The book was an immediate success. It recounted the 101-day, 4,300-mile journey in vivid prose that captured the imaginations of reviewers and readers alike. Public interest was intensified by excerpts in magazines such as LifeKon-Tiki[Kon-Tiki]> and by a 1951 film (also called Kon-Tiki) that won an Academy Award for best documentary.
Despite public acclaim, however, few anthropologists accepted Heyerdahl’s theories, citing archaeological evidence that the Pacific’s inhabitants had migrated eastward from Southeast Asia.
Impact
Although Heyerdahl’s conclusions were debunked by professional scholars, his attempt to demonstrate links between early South American and Polynesian cultures raised public interest in history and archaeology and prompted scientific debate about diffusionist theories.
In 2004, a team of Norwegian scientists that included Heyerdahl’s grandson Olav Heyerdahl made plans to reenact Heyerdahl’s voyage in 2005.
Bibliography
Conniff, Richard. “Kon Artist?” Smithsonian 33, no. 4 (July, 2002): 26-27. Article casting doubt on Heyerdahl’s veracity as an anthropologist.
Harmon, Melissa Burdick. “Across the Ocean on a Wooden Raft.” Biography 6, no. 7 (July, 2002): 82-85. Illustrated account of Heyerdahl’s life.
Heyerdahl, Thor, and Christopher Ralling. Kon-Tiki Man: An Illustrated Biography of Thor Heyerdahl. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1991. A profusely illustrated biography issued in conjunction with a television series about Heyerdahl.