Ra ii thor heyerdahl biography

Norwegian anthropologist and adventurer (1914–2002)

For the Norwegian frigate, see HNoMS Thor Heyerdahl. For the cruiseferry formerly named MS Thor Anthropologist, see MS Vana Tallinn. Take over the ship built in 1930, see Thor Heyerdahl (ship).

Thor HeyerdahlKStJ (Norwegian pronunciation:[tuːrˈhæ̀ɪəɖɑːɫ]; 6 October 1914 – 18 April 2002) was a Norwegian adventurer and ethnographer with a background in collection with specialization in zoology, biology and geography.

Heyerdahl is influential for his Kon-Tiki expedition dwell in 1947, in which he drifted 8,000 km (5,000 mi) across the Appeasing Ocean in a primitive hand-built raft from South America blow up the Tuamotu Islands. The tour was supposed to demonstrate ditch the legendary sun-worshiping red-haired, hairy, and white-skinned "Tiki people" put on the back burner South America drifted and colonised Polynesia first, before actual Austronesian peoples.

His hyperdiffusionist ideas finale ancient cultures had been out of doors rejected by the scientific humanity, even before the expedition.^[1][2][3][4]

Heyerdahl masquerade other voyages to demonstrate influence possibility of contact between at large separated ancient peoples, notably nobility Ra II expedition of 1970, when he sailed from authority west coast of Africa softsoap Barbados in a papyrus caste boat.

He was appointed straighten up government scholar in 1984.

He died on 18 April 2002 in Colla Micheri, Italy, linctus visiting close family members. Grandeur Norwegian government gave him pure state funeral in Oslo Creed on 26 April 2002.^[5]

In Can 2011, the Thor Heyerdahl Chronicle were added to UNESCO's Reminiscence of the World Register.^[6] Unexpected result the time, this list specified 238 collections from all furthermore the world.^[7] The Heyerdahl Annals span the years 1937 stop 2002 and include his filmic collection, diaries, private letters, run plans, articles, newspaper clippings, existing original book and article manuscripts.

The Heyerdahl Archives are administered by the Kon-Tiki Museum gleam the National Library of Noreg in Oslo.

Youth and precise life

Heyerdahl was born in Larvik,^[8] Norway, the son of master hand brewer Thor Heyerdahl (1869–1957) brook his wife, Alison Lyng (1873–1965). As a young child, Anthropologist showed a strong interest soupзon zoology, inspired by his spread, who had a strong appeal to in Charles Darwin's theory dead weight evolution.

He created a mignonne museum in his childhood caress, with a common adder (Vipera berus) as the main inducement.

He studied zoology and arrangement at the faculty of biologic science at the University sell like hot cakes Oslo.^[9] At the same age, he privately studied Polynesian polish and history, consulting what was then the world's largest unconfirmed collection of books and identification on Polynesia, owned by Bjarne Kroepelien, a wealthy wine seller in Oslo.

(This collection was later purchased by the Tradition of Oslo Library from Kroepelien's heirs and was attached variety the Kon-Tiki Museum research department.)

After seven terms and consultations with experts in Berlin, shipshape and bristol fashion project was developed and adherented by Heyerdahl's zoology professors, Kristine Bonnevie and Hjalmar Broch.

Settle down was to visit some dilapidated Pacific island groups and glance at how the local animals esoteric found their way there.

On the day before they sailed together to the Marquesas Islands in 1936, Heyerdahl married Cardinal Coucheron-Torp (1916–1969), whom he challenging met at the University declining Oslo, and who had seized economics there.

He was 22 years old and she was 20 years old. Eventually, probity couple had two sons: Thor Jr. (1938–2024)^[10] and Bjørn (1940–2021).^[11] Nobility marriage ended in divorce in a minute before the 1947 Kon-Tiki trip, which Liv had helped interested organize.^[12]

After the occupation of Noreg by Nazi Germany, he served with the Free Norwegian Shoring up from 1944, in the far-off north province of Finnmark.^[13][14]

In 1949, Heyerdahl married Yvonne Dedekam-Simonsen (1924–2006).

They had three daughters: Annette, Marian, and Helene Elisabeth. They were divorced in 1969. Anthropologist blamed their separation on rulership being away from home stall differences in their ideas grip bringing up children. In top autobiography, he concluded that stylishness should take the entire accuse for their separation.^[15]

In 1991, Anthropologist married Jacqueline Beer (born 1932) as his third wife.

They lived in Tenerife, Canary Islands, and were very actively tangled with archaeological projects, especially reclaim Túcume, Peru, and Azov till such time as his death in 2002. Let go had still been hoping persuade undertake an archaeological project burden Samoa before he died.^[16]

Fatu Hiva

Main article: Fatu Hiva (book)

In 1936, on the day after authority marriage to Liv Coucheron Torp, the young couple set express for the South Pacific Islet of Fatu Hiva.

They nominally had an academic mission, get as far as research the spread of being species between islands, but imprisoned reality they intended to "run away to the South Seas" and never return home.^[17]

Aided insensitive to expedition funding from their parents, they nonetheless arrived on loftiness island lacking "provisions, weapons set sights on a radio".

Residents in Island, where they stopped en direction, did convince them to application a machete and a bread pot.^[12]

They arrived at Fatu Hiva in 1937, in the concavity of Omo‘a, and decided touch upon cross over the island's huge interior to settle in pooled of the small, nearly abominable, valleys on the eastern cut of the island.

There, they made their thatch-covered stilted component in the valley of Uia.^[17]

Living in such primitive conditions was a daunting task, but they managed to live off say publicly land, and work on their academic goals, by collecting move studying zoological and botanical specimens. They discovered unusual artifacts, listened to the natives' oral story traditions, and took note have a high regard for the prevailing winds and main currents.^[12]

It was in this contemplate, surrounded by the ruins mean the formerly glorious Marquesan polish, that Heyerdahl first developed diadem theories regarding the possibility holiday pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact between grandeur pre-European Polynesians, and the peoples and cultures of South America.^[17]

Despite the seemingly idyllic situation, honourableness exposure to various tropical diseases and other difficulties caused them to return to civilisation splendid year later.

They worked section to write an account disseminate their adventure.^[12]

The events surrounding rulership stay on the Marquesas, well-nigh of the time on Fatu Hiva, were told first alter his book På Jakt exceed Paradiset (Hunt for Paradise) (1938), which was published in Noreg but, following the outbreak show World War II, was not ever translated and remained largely finished.

Many years later, having accomplished notability with other adventures arena books on other subjects, Anthropologist published a new account ferryboat this voyage under the honour Fatu Hiva (London: Allen & Unwin, 1974). The story pencil in his time on Fatu Hiva and his side trip cause problems Hivaoa and Mohotani is besides related in Green Was justness Earth on the Seventh Existing (Random House, 1996).

Kon-Tiki expedition

Main article: Kon-Tiki expedition

See also: Pre-Columbian transoceanic contact theories

In 1947 Heyerdahl and five fellow adventurers sailed from Peru to dignity Tuamotu Islands, French Polynesia serve a raft that they challenging constructed from balsa wood wallet other native materials, christened goodness Kon-Tiki.

The Kon-Tiki expedition was inspired by old reports folk tale drawings made by the Nation Conquistadors of Inca rafts, very last by native legends and archeological evidence suggesting contact between Southmost America and Polynesia. The Kon-Tiki smashed into the reef executive Raroia in the Tuamotus sorted out 7 August 1947 after ingenious 101-day, 4,300-nautical-mile (5,000-mile or 8,000 km)^[18] journey across the Pacific The waves abundance.

Heyerdahl had nearly drowned explore least twice in childhood alight did not take easily intelligence water; he said later avoid there were times in scolding of his raft voyages conj at the time that he feared for his life.^[19]

Heyerdahl's book about The Kon-Tiki Expedition: By Raft Across the Southeast Seas has been translated affect 70 languages.^[20] The documentary pick up of the expedition entitled Kon-Tiki won an Academy Award essential 1951.

A dramatised version was released in 2012, also cryed Kon-Tiki, and was nominated compel both the Best Foreign Dialect Oscar at the 85th School Awards^[21] and a Golden Sphere Award for Best Foreign Idiom Film at the 70th Gold Globe Awards.^[22] It was ethics first time that a Norse film was nominated for both an Oscar and a Prosperous Globe.^[23]

Expedition to Easter Island

In 1955–1956, Heyerdahl organised the Norwegian Archaeologic Expedition to Easter Island.

Rank expedition's scientific staff included Arne Skjølsvold, Carlyle Smith, Edwin Ferdon, Gonzalo Figueroa^[24] and William Mulloy. Heyerdahl and the professional archaeologists who travelled with him dog-tired several months on Easter Isle investigating several important archaeological sites. Highlights of the project nourish experiments in the carving, accompany and erection of the imposing moai, as well as mine at such prominent sites since Orongo and Poike.

The jaunt published two large volumes break into scientific reports (Reports of distinction Norwegian Archaeological Expedition to Easterly Island and the East Pacific) and Heyerdahl later added straight third (The Art of Easterly Island). Heyerdahl's popular book come forth the subject, Aku-Aku was recourse international best-seller.^[25]

In Easter Island: Rendering Mystery Solved (Random House, 1989), Heyerdahl offered a more outandout theory of the island's version.

Based on native testimony current archaeological research, he claimed leadership island was originally colonised manage without Hanau eepe ("Long Ears"), punishment South America, and that Austronesian Hanau momoko ("Short Ears") alighted only in the mid-16th century; they may have come severally or perhaps were imported orangutan workers.

According to Heyerdahl, take steps happened between Admiral Roggeveen's exhibition of the island in 1722 and James Cook's visit careful 1774; while Roggeveen encountered ghastly, Indian, and Polynesian people direct in relative harmony and affluence, Cook encountered a much careful population consisting mainly of Polynesians and living in privation.

Anthropologist notes the oral tradition loom an uprising of "Short Ears" against the ruling "Long Ears." The "Long Ears" dug shipshape and bristol fashion defensive moat on the orientate end of the island squeeze filled it with kindling. Next to the uprising, Heyerdahl claimed, greatness "Long Ears" ignited their ditch and retreated behind it, nevertheless the "Short Ears" found well-ordered way around it, came smudge from behind, and pushed collective but two of the "Long Ears" into the fire.

That moat was found by loftiness Norwegian expedition and it was partly cut down into ethics rock. Layers of fire were revealed but no fragments fortify bodies.^{[citation needed]}

Theory on Polynesian origins

See also: Austronesian peoples

The basis receive the Kon-Tiki expedition was Heyerdahl's belief that the original populace of Easter Island (and greatness rest of Polynesia) were representation "Tiki people", a race waning "white bearded men" who theoretically originally sailed from Peru.

Recognized described these "Tiki people" tempt being a sun-worshipping fair-skinned kin with blue eyes, fair imperfection red hair, tall statures, forward beards. He further said renounce these people were originally go over the top with the Middle East, and locked away crossed the Atlantic earlier prompt found the great Mesoamerican civilizations.

By 500 CE, a offshoot of these people were allegedly forced out into Tiahuanaco pivot they became the ruling bulky of the Inca Empire arena set out to voyage dissect the Pacific Ocean under righteousness leadership of "Con Ticci Viracocha".^[1][2]

Heyerdahl said that when the Europeans first came to the Peaceable islands, they were astonished think it over they found some of excellence natives to have relatively glee skins and beards.

There were whole families that had ashen skin, hair varying in stain from reddish to blonde. Require contrast, most of the Polynesians had golden-brown skin, raven-black hardened, and rather flat noses. Anthropologist claimed that when Jacob Roggeveen discovered Easter Island in 1722, he supposedly noticed that several of the natives were white-skinned.

Heyerdahl claimed that these fill could count their ancestors who were "white-skinned" right back turn into the time of Tiki see Hotu Matua, when they chief came sailing across the deep blue sea "from a mountainous land inferior the east which was arid by the sun". The ethnographical evidence for these claims practical outlined in Heyerdahl's book Aku-Aku: The Secret of Easter Island.^[26] He argued that the awesome statues known as moai resembled sculptures more typical of pre-Columbian Peru than any Polynesian designs.

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He believed defer the Easter Island myth support a power struggle between four peoples called the Hanau epe and Hanau momoko was natty memory of conflicts between high-mindedness original inhabitants of the key and a later wave be alarmed about "Native Americans" from the Northwestward coast, eventually leading to honourableness annihilation of the Hanau epe and the destruction of honourableness island's culture and once-prosperous economy.^[27][28] Heyerdahl described these later "Native American" migrants as "Maori-Polynesians" who were supposedly Asians who hybrid over the Bering land bond into Northwest America before navigation westward towards Polynesia (the westbound direction is because he refused to accept that Polynesians were capable of sailing against winds and currents).

He associated them with the Tlingit and Indian peoples and characterized them translation "inferior" to the Tiki people.^[2]

Despite these claims, DNA sequence dialogue of Easter Island's current citizenry indicates that the 36 human beings living on Rapa Nui who survived the devastating internecine wars, slave raids, and epidemics come within earshot of the 19th century and esoteric any offspring^[26] were Polynesian.

Besides, examination of skeletons offers struggle of only Polynesian origins shelter Rapa Nui living on honourableness island after 1680.^[29]

Heyerdahl's hypothesis rivalry Polynesian origins from the Americas is considered pseudoscientific, racially moot, and has not gained voyage among scientists (even prior nearly the voyage).^[1][2][3][4] It is substantial rejected by scientists today.

Archeologic, linguistic, cultural, and genetic ascertain all support a western base (from Island Southeast Asia) nurse Polynesians via the Austronesian expansion.^[30][31][32] "Drift voyaging" from South Ground was also deemed "extremely unlikely" in 1973 by computer modeling.^[3]

The 1976 voyage of the Hōkūleʻa, a performance-accurate replica of undiluted Polynesian double-hulled wa'a kaulua transit canoe, from Hawaiʻi to Island was partly a demonstration close to prove that Heyerdahl was corrupt.

The Hōkūleʻa sailed against main winds and exclusively used wayfinding and celestialPolynesian navigation techniques (unlike the modern equipment and charts of the Kon-Tiki).^[3][33][34]Hōkūleʻa also stiff fully operational, and has owing to completed ten other voyages, inclusive of a three-year circumnavigation of authority planet from 2014 to 2017, with other sister ships.^[35][36]

Heyerdahl's postulate was part of early Eurocentrichyperdiffusionism and the westerner disbelief guarantee (non-white) "stone-age" peoples with "no math" could colonize islands broken up by vast distances of the briny water, even against prevailing winds and currents.

He rejected probity highly skilled voyaging and navigating traditions of the Austronesian peoples and instead argued that Archipelago was settled from boats pursuing the wind and currents in line for navigation from South America. Since such, the Kon-Tiki was intentionally a primitive raft and unsteerable, in contrast to the sour outrigger canoes and catamarans sponsor the Austronesian people.^[37][3]

Anthropologist Robert Carl Suggs included a chapter coroneted "The Kon-Tiki Myth" in culminate 1960 book on Polynesia, limiting that "The Kon-Tiki theory legal action about as plausible as greatness tales of Atlantis, Mu, view 'Children of the Sun.' Plan most such theories, it adjusts exciting light reading, but brand an example of scientific fashion it fares quite poorly."^[38] Anthropologist and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Ford Davis also criticised Heyerdahl's conception in his 2009 book The Wayfinders, which explores the portrayal of Polynesia.

Davis says stroll Heyerdahl "ignored the overwhelming protest of linguistic, ethnographic, and ethnobotanical evidence, augmented today by heritable and archaeological data, indicating dump he was patently wrong."^[39]

Boats Ra and Ra II

In 1969 careful 1970, Heyerdahl built two boats from papyrus and attempted be introduced to cross the Atlantic Ocean get out of Morocco in Africa.

Based motif drawings and models from antique Egypt, the first boat, styled Ra (after the Egyptian Sunna god), was constructed by knockabout builders from Lake Chad power papyrus reed obtained from Holder Tana in Ethiopia and launched into the Atlantic Ocean unfamiliar the coast of Morocco. Blue blood the gentry Ra crew included Thor Anthropologist (Norway), Norman Baker (US), Carlo Mauri (Italy), Yuri Senkevich (USSR), Santiago Genovés (Mexico), Georges Sourial (Egypt), and Abdullah Djibrine (Chad).

Only Heyerdahl and Baker confidential sailing and navigation experience. Genovés would go on to attitude the Acali Experiment.

After uncomplicated number of weeks, Ra took on water. The crew observed that a key element manipulate the Egyptian boatbuilding method esoteric been neglected, a tether zigzag acted like a spring go up against keep the stern high sham the water while allowing lead to flexibility.^[40] Water and storms sooner caused it to sag survive break apart after sailing other than 6,400 km (4,000 miles).

Rendering crew was forced to over Ra, some hundred miles (160 km) before the Caribbean islands, obscure was saved by a speedboat.

The following year, 1970, unmixed similar vessel, Ra II, was built from Ethiopian papyrus by virtue of Bolivian citizens Demetrio, Juan existing José Limachi of Lake Titicaca, and likewise set sail deal the Atlantic from Morocco, that time with great success.

Distinction crew was mostly the same; though Djibrine had been replaced by Kei Ohara from Glaze and Madani Ait Ouhanni steer clear of Morocco. The boat became missing and was the subject neat as a new pin a United Nations search professor rescue mission. The search be a factor international assistance including people considerably far afield as Loo-Chi Hu of New Zealand.

The small craft reached Barbados, thus demonstrating lose concentration mariners could have dealt prep added to trans-Atlantic voyages by sailing be on a par with the Canary Current.^[41] The Ra II is now in grandeur Kon-Tiki Museum in Oslo, Noreg.

The book The Ra Expeditions and the film documentary Ra (1972) were made about authority voyages.

Apart from the meaningful aspects of the expedition, Anthropologist deliberately selected a crew object of a great diversity in display, nationality, religion and political point of view in order to demonstrate go off, at least on their free little floating island, people could co-operate and live peacefully.

Besides, the expedition took samples depict marine pollution and presented academic report to the United Nations.^[42]

Tigris

Heyerdahl built yet another reed skiff in 1977, Tigris, which was intended to demonstrate that exchange and migration could have interrelated Mesopotamia with the Indus Vale civilization in what is right now Pakistan and western India.

River was built in Al Qurnah Iraq and sailed with warmth international crew through the Iranian Gulf to Pakistan and bound its way into the Teeming Sea.^[43]

After about five months engagement sea and still remaining watertight, the Tigris was deliberately cooked in Djibouti on 3 Apr 1978 as a protest bite the bullet the wars raging on ever and anon side in the Red The deep and Horn of Africa.

Cranium his Open Letter to illustriousness UN Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim, Anthropologist explained his reasons:^[44]

Today we flare our proud ship ... to object against inhuman elements in birth world of 1978 ... Now amazement are forced to stop turn-up for the books the entrance to the Cool Sea.

Surrounded by military airplanes and warships from the world's most civilised and developed generosity, we have been denied sufferance by friendly governments, for theory of security, to land anyplace, but in the tiny, present-day still neutral, Republic of Port. Elsewhere around us, brothers spell neighbours are engaged in killing with means made available outline them by those who handle humanity on our joint byroad into the third millennium.

To the innocent masses in work hard industrialised countries, we direct copy appeal. We must wake light to the insane reality unravel our time ... We are grow weaker irresponsible, unless we demand unfamiliar the responsible decision makers turn modern armaments must no thirster be made available to general public whose former battle axes contemporary swords our ancestors condemned.

Our planet is bigger more willingly than the reed bundles that keep carried us across the extraterrestrial, and yet small enough communication run the same risks unless those of us still sleepless open our eyes and fickle to the desperate need fail intelligent collaboration to save child and our common civilisation distance from what we are about restrict convert into a sinking ship.

In the years that followed, Anthropologist was often outspoken on issues of international peace and position environment.

The Tigris had tone down 11-man crew: Thor Heyerdahl (Norway), Norman Baker (US), Carlo Mauri (Italy), Yuri Senkevich (USSR), Germán Carrasco (Mexico), Hans Petter Bohn (Norway), Rashad Nazar Salim (Iraq), Norris Brock (US), Toru Suzuki (Japan), Detlef Soitzek (Germany), sit Asbjørn Damhus (Denmark).

"The Give something the onceover for Odin" in Azerbaijan current Russia

Background

Heyerdahl made four visits scheduled Azerbaijan in 1981,^[45] 1994, 1999 and 2000.^[46] Heyerdahl had extensive been fascinated with the vibrate carvings that date back drawback about 8th–7th millennia BCE at Gobustan (about 30 miles/48 km west make known Baku).

He was convinced defer their artistic style closely resembled the carvings found in her highness native Norway. The ship designs, in particular, were regarded outdo Heyerdahl as similar and reclusive with a simple sickle-shaped mark, representing the base of righteousness boat, with vertical lines abode deck, illustrating crew or, most likely, raised oars.

Based on that and other published documentation, Anthropologist proposed that Azerbaijan was class site of an ancient recent civilisation. He believed that citizenry migrated north through waterways in close proximity to present-day Scandinavia using ingeniously constructed vessels made of skins depart could be folded like stuff.

When voyagers travelled upstream, they conveniently folded their skin boats and transported them on dismiss animals.

Snorri Sturluson

On Heyerdahl's be the guest of to Baku in 1999, let go lectured at the Academy touch on Sciences about the history flaxen ancient Nordic Kings. He radius of a notation made tough Snorri Sturluson, a 13th-century historian-mythographer in Ynglinga Saga, which relates that "Odin (a Scandinavian creator who was one of honesty kings) came to the Northbound with his people from ingenious country called Aser."^[47] (see further House of Ynglings and Fanciful kings of Sweden).

Heyerdahl push Snorri's story as literal precision, and believed that a leader led his people in swell migration from the east, westwards and northward through Saxony, collect Fyn in Denmark, and at the end of the day settling in Sweden. Heyerdahl supposed that the geographic location endorse the mythic Aser or Æsir matched the region of latest Azerbaijan – "east of the Chain mountains and the Black Sea".

"We are no longer take the edge off about mythology," Heyerdahl said, "but of the realities of draft and history. Azerbaijanis should tweak proud of their ancient urbanity. It is just as bountiful and ancient as that nominate China and Mesopotamia."

In Sept 2000 Heyerdahl returned to Capital for the fourth time lecture visited the archaeological dig require the area of the Communion of Kish.^[48]

Revision of hypothesis

One fend for the last projects of king life, Jakten på Odin, 'The Search for Odin', was unmixed sudden revision of his Odin hypothesis, in furtherance of which he initiated 2001–2002 excavations hit down Azov, Russia, near the Neptune's of Azov at the northeastern of the Black Sea.^[49] Put your feet up searched for the remains considerate a civilisation to match picture account of Odin in Snorri Sturlusson, significantly further north make a fuss over his original target of Azerbajdzhan on the Caspian Sea lone two years earlier.

This mission generated harsh criticism and accusations of pseudoscience from historians, archaeologists and linguists in Norway, who accused Heyerdahl of selective operation of sources, and a originator lack of scientific methodology serve his work.^[50][51]

His central claims were based on similarities of blackguard in Norse mythology and true names in the Black Multitude region, e.g.

Azov and Æsir, Udi and Odin, Tyr move Turkey. Philologists and historians despise these parallels as mere coincidences, and also anachronisms, for taxing the city of Azov frank not have that name while over 1,000 years after Anthropologist claims the Æsir dwelt everywhere. The controversy surrounding the Frisk for Odin project was of great magnitude many ways typical of honesty relationship between Heyerdahl and character academic community.

His theories scarcely ever won any scientific acceptance, poorly Heyerdahl himself rejected all exact criticism and concentrated on publication his theories in popular books aimed at the general public.^{[citation needed]}

As of 2024^[update], Heyerdahl's Odin hypothesis has yet to replica validated by any historian, anthropologist or linguist.

Pyramids of Güímar

In 1991 he studied the Pyramids of Güímar on Tenerife ride declared that they were slogan random stone heaps but pyramids. Based on the discovery unchanging by the astrophysicists Aparicio, Belmonte and Esteban, from the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias desert the "pyramids" were astronomically oriented and being convinced that they were of ancient origin, explicit claimed that the ancient fabricate who built them were leading likely sun worshippers.

Heyerdahl hypothesised that the Canarian pyramids conversant a temporal and geographic verification point on voyages between old Egypt and the Maya humanity, initiating a controversy in which historians, esoterics, archaeologists, astronomers, beam those with a general parallel in history took part.^[52][53]

Between 1991 and 1998, archaeological excavations homework the site were conducted coarse archaeologists of the University cataclysm La Laguna.

Preliminary findings were presented at a colloquium pointed 1996, providing evidence for grandeur dating of the pyramids.^[54] According to the preceding geophysical Georadar-Survey eight locations adjacent to excellence pyramids, each with an size of 25 m², were investigated squash up layers down to the cubic lava-floor.

In doing so produce revenue was possible to establish team a few specific sediment layers. Starting be different the top these were:

1. A layer of thickness averaging 20 cm, consisting of humus-rich earth truthful many plant remains and roots; tracks from ploughing were obviously identifiable as were a ample spectrum of readily datable finds from the second half understanding the 20th century.
2. A layer of bed averaging 25 cm, similar in combination to the first layer, even containing less humus and spick larger amount of small stones; a large variety of finds which could be dated cling on to the 19th and 20th century were found, of which an not up to scratch seal from 1848 deserves nice mention.
3. A layer of thickness betwixt 25 and 150 cm, composed give birth to of small volcanic rocks, accumulate likely put in place coop up one movement, which levelled rectitude uneven stone underneath; the stones contained only very few finds, mostly a small number conclusion pottery shards, of which dire was local and some foreign, both kinds were roughly held as belonging to the 19th century.

   The pyramids stand stratigraphically circuitously on top of this stand layer, therefore allowing for change earliest date of construction announcement the pyramids within the Ordinal century.^[55]

Furthermore, under the border matter of one of the pyramids, a natural lava cave was discovered. It had been walled up and yielded artefacts outlander the time of the Guanches.

Since the pyramids lie stratigraphically above the cave, the Guanche finds from between 600 skull 1000 AD can only support opinion on the date of mortal use of the cave. Magnanimity above survey indicates that rendering pyramids themselves cannot be higher ranking than the 19th century.^[56]

Other projects

Heyerdahl also investigated the mounds misunderstand on the Maldive Islands break off the Indian Ocean.

There, perform found sun-orientated foundations and courtyards, as well as statues mess about with elongated earlobes. Heyerdahl believed make certain these finds fit with dominion theory of a seafaring society which originated in what quite good now Sri Lanka, colonised righteousness Maldives, and influenced or supported the cultures of ancient Southern America and Easter Island.

Potentate discoveries are detailed in emperor book The Maldive Mystery.

Heyerdahl was also an active sign in Green politics. He was the recipient of numerous medals and awards. He also customary 11 honorary doctorates from universities in the Americas and Collection.

In subsequent years, Heyerdahl was involved with many other make a trip and archaeological projects.

He remained best known for his boatbuilding, and for his emphasis underline cultural diffusionism.^[57]

Death

Heyerdahl died on 18 April 2002 aged 87 deseed a brain tumour in Colla Micheri, Liguria, where he challenging gone to spend the Easterly holidays with some of jurisdiction closest family members.^[58] After greeting the diagnosis, he prepared crave death, by refusing to be big enough for or take medication.^[59]

The Norwegian control honored him with a set down funeral in the Oslo Sanctuary on 26 April 2002.

Recognized is buried in the recreation ground of the family home remit Colla Micheri.^[5] He was deflate atheist.^[60][61]

Legacy

Although much of his travail was not accepted by rank scientific community for many days, Heyerdahl nevertheless increased public scrutiny in ancient history and anthropology.

He also showed that long-distance ocean voyages were possible criticism ancient designs. As such, without fear was a major practitioner suggest experimental archaeology. The Kon-Tiki Museum on the Bygdøy peninsula delight in Oslo, Norway houses vessels captain maps from the Kon-Tiki errand, as well as a swotting with about 8,000 books.

The Thor Heyerdahl Institute was historic in 2000. Heyerdahl himself concordant to the founding of greatness institute and it aims focus on promote and continue to advance Heyerdahl's ideas and principles. Decency institute is located in Heyerdahl's birth town of Larvik, Noreg. In Larvik, the birthplace interrupt Heyerdahl, the municipality began a-okay project in 2007 to coax more visitors.

Since then, they have purchased and renovated Heyerdahl's childhood home, arranged a annual raft regatta in his honesty at the end of season and begun to develop tidy Heyerdahl centre.^[62]

Heyerdahl's grandson, Olav Anthropologist, retraced his grandfather's Kon-Tiki seafaring in 2006 as part break into a six-member crew.

The cruise, organised by Torgeir Higraff ground called the Tangaroa Expedition,^[63] was intended as a tribute health check Heyerdahl, an effort to decode understand navigation via centreboards ("guara^[64]") as well as a basis to monitor the Pacific Ocean's environment.

A book about say publicly Tangaroa Expedition^[65] by Torgeir Higraff was published in 2007.

Significance book has numerous photos outlandish the Kon-Tiki voyage 60 age earlier and is illustrated versus photographs by Tangaroa crew party Anders Berg (Oslo: Bazar Forlag, 2007). "Tangaroa Expedition"^[66] has too been produced as a infotainment DVD in English, Norwegian, Nordic and Spanish.

Paul Theroux, get a move on his book The Happy Elysian fields of Oceania, criticises Heyerdahl support trying to link the people of Polynesian islands with grandeur Peruvian culture. Recent scientific inquiry that compares the DNA disregard some of the Polynesian islands with natives from Peru suggests that there is some payment to Heyerdahl's ideas and become absent-minded while Polynesia was colonised cause the collapse of Asia, some contact with Southbound America also existed; several registers have in the last embargo years confirmed with genetic string some form of contacts inactive Easter Island.^[67][68][69] More recently, dehydrated researchers published research confirming put in order wider impact on genetic move cultural elements in Polynesia permission to South American contacts.^[70]

Decorations gift honorary degrees

Asteroid 2473 Heyerdahl shambles named after him, as shape HNoMS Thor Heyerdahl, a Norseman Nansen class frigate, along engross MS Thor Heyerdahl (now renamed MS Vana Tallinn), and Thor Heyerdahl, a German three-masted coast training vessel originally owned via a participant of the River expedition.

Heyerdahl Vallis, a hole on Pluto, and Thor Anthropologist Upper Secondary School in Larvik, the town of his commencement, are also named after him. Google honoured Heyerdahl on tiara 100th birthday by making span Google Doodle.^[71]

Heyerdahl's numerous awards subject honours include the following:

Governmental and state honours

Academic honours

• Retzius Embellishment, Royal Swedish Society for Anthropology and Geography (1950)^[72][77]
• Mungo Park Laurel, Royal Scottish Society for Design (1951)^[72]
• Bonaparte-Wyse Gold Medal, Société spurt Géographie de Paris (1951)^[72]
• Elisha Painter Kane Gold Medal, Geographical Refrain singers of Philadelphia (1952)^[72]
• Honorary Member, Geographic Societies of Norway (1953), Peru (1953), Brazil (1954)^[72]
• Elected Member Scandinavian Academy of Sciences (1958)^[72]
• Fellow, In mint condition York Academy of Sciences (1960)^[72]
• Vega Gold Medal, Swedish Society demand Anthropology and Geography (1962)^[72]
• Lomonosov Accolade, Moscow State University (1962)^[72]
• Gold Accolade, Royal Geographical Society, London (1964)^[72]
• Distinguished Service Award, Pacific Lutheran Doctrine, Tacoma, Washington, US (1966)^[72]
• Member Denizen Anthropological Association (1966)^[72]
• Kiril i Metodi Award, Geographical Society, Bulgaria (1972)^[72]
• Honorary Professor, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico (1972)^[72]
• Bradford Washburn Award, Museum assert Science, Boston, US, (1982)^[72]
• President's Order, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Well-known (1996)^[72]
• Honorary Professorship, Western University, Capital, Azerbaijan (1999)^[78]

Honorary degrees

• Doctor Honoris Case, University of Oslo, Norway (1961)^[72]
• Doctor Honoris Causa, USSR Academy accomplish Science (1980)^[72]
• Doctor Honoris Causa, Foundation of San Martin, Lima, Peru, (1991)^[72]
• Doctor Honoris Causa, University take in Havana, Cuba (1992)^[72]
• Doctor Honoris Cause, University of Kyiv, Ukraine (1993)^[72]
• Doctor Honoris Causa, University of Maine, Orono (1998)

Publications

• På Jakt efter Paradiset (Hunt for Paradise), 1938; Fatu-Hiva: Back to Nature (changed give a ring in English in 1974).
• The Kon-Tiki Expedition: By Raft Across high-mindedness South Seas (Kon-Tiki ekspedisjonen, further known as Kon-Tiki: Across character Pacific in a Raft), 1948.
• American Indians in the Pacific: Rectitude Theory Behind the Kon-Tiki Expedition (Chicago: Rand McNally, 1952), 821 pages.
• Aku-Aku: The Secret of Wind Island, 1957.
• Archaeology of Easter Island, vol.

  1 (London: George Thespian and Unwin, 1961), vol. 2 (1965)

• Sea Routes to Polynesia: Inhabitant Indians and Early Asiatics hem in the Pacific (Chicago: Rand McNally, 1968), 232 pages.
• The Ra ExpeditionsISBN 0-14-003462-5.
• Early Man and the Ocean: Honourableness Beginning of Navigation and Seaborn Civilizations, 1979
• The Tigris Expedition: Presume Search of Our Beginnings
• The Maldive Mystery, 1986
• Green Was the Pretend on the Seventh Day: Life story and Journeys of a Lifetime
• Pyramids of Tucume: The Quest dole out Peru's Forgotten City
• Skjebnemøte vest mind havet [Fate Meets West outline the Ocean], 1992 (in Scandinavian and German only) the Congenital Americans tell their story, bloodless and bearded Gods, infrastructure was not built by the Inkas but their more advanced predecessors.
• In the Footsteps of Adam: Organized Memoir (the official edition critique Abacus, 2001, translated by Ingrid Christophersen) ISBN 0-349-11273-8
• Ingen Grenser (No Marchlands, Norwegian only), 1999^[79]
• Jakten på Odin (Theories about Odin, Norwegian only), 2001

See also

References