Kontiki is the record of an astonishing adventurea journey of 4,300 nautical miles across the pacific ocean by raft. Thor heyerdahl, who died in april at the age of 87, spent much of an active and sometimes inspiring life in the thrall of one good story. Thor heyerdahl was a norwegian adventurer and ethnographer with a background in zoology, botany, and. Heyerdahl books published in azerbaijani in later years, 88 exhibition in baku. That relationship didnt last either, and he married for a fourth time at the age of 82. He later completed similar achievements with the reed boats ra, ra ii and tigris, through which he. This article is of interest to the following wikiprojects. On april 28, 1947, heyerdahl and five other adventurers sailed from peru on a balsa log raft. In 1947 he skippered the tiny balsawood raft on a 6,000 kilometre journey from peru to polynesia. Thor heyerdahl the kontiki man, 2012, 90 bikers on the track of odin and heyerdahl, 20, 92. In a century when the age of adventurers seemed long past, heyerdahl became one anyway.
Thor heyerdahl was born in larvik, the son of master brewer thor heyerdahl and his wife alison lyng. Thor heyerdahl was born in southern norway in 1914. Buy kontiki by thor heyerdahl from waterstones today. Now a major motion picture, kontiki is the record of thor heyerdahls astonishing threemonth voyage across the pacific. Thor heyerdahl was a norwegian explorer, adventurer, and ethnologist. In addition, the author has also signed on a postcard from 1947 of the expedition members. Hes still best known as kontiki man the nickname which dates back to his first voyage expedition in 1947 when he crossed the pacific in a primitive balsalog raft. He studied zoology and geography at oslo university. He died on april 18, 2002 in colla micheri, liguria, italy. The kontiki expedition was a 1947 journey by raft across the pacific ocean from south america to the polynesian islands, led by norwegian explorer and the author thor heyerdahl. The voyage, called the tangaroa expedition, was intended as a tribute to thor heyerdahl, as well as a means to monitor the pacific oceans environment. At the same time he studied privately polynesian culture and history, consulting the then worlds largest private collection of books and papers.
Dna testing in the late 1990s indicated that such a migration did not actually take place. Thor heyerdahl primary author only author division. Thor heyerdahl s grandson, olav heyerdahl, retraced his grandfathers kontiki voyage in 2006, as part of a sixmember crew. Thor heyerdahl, a biologist working in marquesa, had heard of a mythical polnesian hero, kontiki, who had migrated to the islands from the east, perhaps as far away as peru. In 1947 he demonstrated that the polynesians could originally have been migrants from south america, by sailing from peru to the pacific islands of tuamotu in the kontiki, a raft made of balsa wood. If you would like to learn how to plan and execute a major project, then kon tiki. My mother, liv coucheron torp, was married to thor heyerdahl, the norwegian scientist and explorer whose kontiki expedition in 1947 became one of the great enduring adventure stories of all time. Thor heyerdahl has been listed as a level5 vital article in people, explorers. Intrigued by polynesian folklore, biologist thor heyerdahl suspected that the south sea islands had been settled by an ancient. Thor heyerdahl 19142002 is one of historys most famous explorers. Heyerdahls voyages led him to become active internationally in fighting pollution of the oceans. Heyerdahl is notable for his kontiki expedition in 1947, in which he sailed 8,000 km 5,000 mi across the pacific ocean in a handbuilt raft from south america to the tuamotu islands.
October 6, 1914 april 18, 2002 was a norwegian ethnographer and adventurer with a background in zoology, botany, and geography. As a young child, heyerdahl showed a strong interest in zoology, inspired by his mother, who had a strong interest in charles darwins theory of evolution. Thor heyerdahl books list of books by author thor heyerdahl. See all books authored by thor heyerdahl, including kontiki ekspedisjonen, and akuaku. Kon tiki is not a project management book, but by following the process that thor heyerdahl used for his expedition, you will learn how to manage a project. Common types of primary sources include works of literature, historical documents, original philosophical writings, and religious texts.
Anette, marian and helen elisabeth bettina with yvonne. Among the topics are the african association, antarctica, the voyage of the beagle, gertrude bell, james cook, jacquesyves cousteau, charles darwin, the explorers club, the gobi desert, thor heyerdahl, the international geophysical year, the leakey family, the lewis and clark expedition, david livingstone and henry morton stanley, alexander mackenzie, maps and mapmaking, the history of. He became notable for his kontiki expedition in 1947, in which he sailed 8,000 km 5,000 mi across the pacific ocean in a handbuilt raft from south america to the. Thor heyerdahl was born on october 6, 1914 in larvik, norway. In green was the earth on the seventh day, heyerdahl wrote about how his voyage on the kontiki had increased his awareness of threats to the environment.
A primary source is a work that is being studied, or that provides firsthand or direct evidence on a topic. Discover book depositorys huge selection of thor heyerdahl books online. The raft was named kontiki after the incasun god, viracocha, for whom kontiki was said to be an old name. Thor heyerdahls kontiki voyage on the 100th anniversary of thor heyerdahls birth, look back at his historic voyage across the pacific on the primitive raft kontiki.
His 1947 kontiki expedition proved that the incas were capable of sailing across the pacific. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Intrigued by polynesian folklore, biologist thor heyerdahl suspected that the south sea islands had been settled by an ancient race from thousands of miles to the east, led by a mythical hero, kontiki. Thor heyerdahl, norwegian ethnologist and adventurer who organized and led the famous kontiki 1947 and ra 196970 transoceanic scientific expeditions. In search of our beginnings by thor heyerdahl and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at.
Apr 18, 2002 thor heyerdahl 19142002 is one of historys most famous explorers. With his spectacular expeditions and original theories, thor heyerdahl was a. All thor hayerdahls books are extremely entertaining and readable, with an approach very different from the usual rather dry expositions of archaeological works. Youtube, youtube channel, video marketing, youtuber, igtv, erika vieira, video, instagram. Apr 19, 2002 thor heyerdahl, who has died of cancer aged 87, was one of the great individualistic standardbearers of mid20thcentury adventure. It proved, he said, that ancient cultures could have sailed to, and populated, the south pacific. Olav heyerdahl, grandson of thor heyerdahl was one of the six men on the later trip. Across the pacific by raft by thor heyerdahl, 1950. Apr 18, 2002 heyerdahl s voyages led him to become active internationally in fighting pollution of the oceans. He was a director and writer, known for akuaku 1960, galapagos 1955 and kontiki 1950.
Thirty years after his triumphant kontiki expedition, heyerdahl lost contact with his daughter after hed left his second wife to move in with his physiotherapist. Thor heyerdahl died in colla michari, italy, on april 18, 2002. After these expeditions, he expanded on this theory in the book american indians. Kon tiki by thor heyerdahl, first edition abebooks. Thor heyerdahl, who has died of cancer aged 87, was one of the great individualistic standardbearers of mid20thcentury adventure.
Thor heyerdahl biography life, family, parents, story. In heyerdahls case, according to the new book on his final years, his. Heyerdahl was born in larvik, norway, the son of master brewer thor heyerdahl 18691957 and his wife, alison lyng 18731965. All his legendary expeditions are shown in the kontiki museum, oslo. Further investigation by the norwegian scientist led him to believe that the story of he migration of a people across thousands of miles of the pacific was fact, not a myth. Heyerdahl will be forever remembered as the kontiki man. He created a small museum in his childhood home, with a vipera berus as the main attraction. In 1947, he and his fiveperson crew climbed aboard kontiki.
Book is russian translation of the tigris expeditions that heyerdahl made in 1978. Thor heyerdahl was one of the twentiethcenturys most famous adventurers and he recreated many ocean voyages made by ships based on ancient designs. Books by thor heyerdahl thor heyerdahl average rating 4. Across the pacific by raft by heyerdahl, thor and karl jettmar and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Intrigued by polynesian folklore, biologist thor heyerdahl suspected that the south sea islands had been settled by an ancient race from. In the footsteps of adam, which is actually his autobiography he leads the reader through his early life, the middle age, and up to the point when the book was written in 2000something. Ra is the story of heyerdahls voyage from north africa to south america in a 45 ft papyrus boat modelled on those depicted in the pharoahs wall paintings. Thor heyerdahl, norwegian anthropologist and adventurer who navigated. If one or more works are by a distinct, homonymous authors, go ahead and split the author. Click and collect from your local waterstones or get free uk delivery on orders over. Heyerdahl became notable for his kontiki expedition, in which he sailed 4,300 miles 8,000 km by raft from south america to the tuamotu islands. Norwegian author and biographer ragnar kvam jr details heyerdahl s final years in his new book thor heyerdahl mannen og mytene the. He later completed similar achievements with the reed boats ra, ra ii and tigris, through which he championed his deep involvement.
The sad fact is that serious good books about maldives dont sell, and thus are not known, while thor heyerdahls books, which are nothing more than a caricature of history and archaeology, are stuff that sells and, therefore, have filled the void left by the lack of serious books on maldives. As a young child, thor heyerdahl established a strong interest in zoology. His life was extremely interesting and he dedicated it to his work, and his thesis. Across the pacific in a raft mass market paperback. He was married to jacqueline beer, yvonne dedekamsimonsen and liv coucherontorp. Challenging eurocentric theories of migration by heyerdahl ai 3. It would have been nice if a woman was on the trip. He became notable for his kontiki expedition in 1947, in which he sailed 8,000 km 5,000 mi across the pacific ocean in a handbuilt raft from south america to the tuamotu islands. Thor heyerdahl, born october 6, 1914, larvik, norwaydied april 18, 2002, colla micheri, italy, norwegian ethnologist and adventurer who organized and led the famous kontiki 1947 and ra 196970 transoceanic scientific expeditions. Thor heyerdahl biography childhood, life achievements.
Thor heyerdahl lived his life in a way that most of us can only dream of. Heyerdahl article about heyerdahl by the free dictionary. Buy a cheap copy of kontiki ekspedisjonen book by thor heyerdahl. The maldive mystery, like other books by this author, is written. Thor heyerdahl is currently considered a single author. And his storytelling skill turned the book kontiki into an international best.
He believed that, long before columbus, early ocean. The tangaroa expedition is a recreation of the kon tiki expedition, which happened 60 years earlier. Norwegian author and biographer ragnar kvam jr details heyerdahls final years. Kon tiki across the pacific by raft thor heyerdahl.
Smith in the geographical journal wrote that heyerdahls findings. Both expeditions were intended to prove the possibility of ancient transoceanic contacts between distant civilizations and cultures. Thor heyerdahl project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. In 1947 he crossed the pacific ocean on the balsawood raft kontiki. Thor heyerdahl was a norwegian adventurer and ethnographer with a background in zoology. It is impossible to read any of thor heyerdahls books without developing a deep liking for this extaordinary man. Thor heyerdahls darker final years norways news in english. October 6, 1914 april 18, 2002 was a norwegian adventurer and ethnographer with a background in zoology, botany and geography. He orchestrated many transoceanic expeditions in primitive boat replicas and contributed several substantial theories to the geographic and scientific communities. Intrigued by polynesian folklore, biologist thor heyerdahl suspected that the south sea islands had been settled by an ancient race from thousands of miles to the east. This was his first expedition to be captured on film, and was later awarded academy award for best documentary in 1951. Kontiki is the record of an astonishing adventure across the pacific ocean. Now a major motion picture, kontiki is the record of thor heyerdahl s astonishing threemonth voyage across the pacific. My mother, liv coucheron torp, was married to thor heyerdahl, the norwegian scientist and explorer whose kontiki expedition in 1947 became one.
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