What was the RA expedition trying to prove?

The voyage of Ra begins with Thor Heyerdahl visiting Easter Island and discovering depictions of reed boats with masts and sails. He subsequently wanted to show that prehistoric civilizations, on both sides of the Atlantic, could have been in contact with each other by means of reed boats.

What was the purpose of the Kon-Tiki?

The purpose stated by Heyerdahl for carrying modern and ancient containers was to test the effectiveness of ancient water storage. For food Kon-Tiki carried 200 coconuts, sweet potatoes, bottle gourds and other assorted fruit and roots.

Was the Kon-Tiki expedition successful?

After 101 days at sea the Kon-Tiki ran aground on a coral reef by the Raroia atoll in Polynesia. The expedition had been an unconditional success, and Thor Heyerdahl and his crew had demonstrated that South American peoples could in fact have journeyed to the islands of the South Pacific by balsa raft.

What did Thor Heyerdahl try to prove?

When Thor Heyerdahl boarded the Kon-Tiki balsa raft in 1947, he hoped to finally prove that the Pacific islands could have been settled by people from South America, as opposed to the prevailing theory, which was that settlers came from the west.

What was the Kon-Tiki raft made of?

balsa wood logs
On April 28, 1947 Heyerdahl had set out from the coast of Peru, cutting through the waves aboard Kon-Tiki, a simple raft made from balsa wood logs, based on drawings made by Spanish conquistadors, and begun a long, strange journey that would grip the world.

What is the vessel made of Kon-Tiki?

Kon-Tiki expedition In 1947 Heyerdahl and five fellow adventurers sailed from Peru to the Tuamotu Islands, French Polynesia in a pae-pae raft that they had constructed from balsa wood and other native materials, christened the Kon-Tiki.

Who did Kon-Tiki expedition?

Thor Heyerdahl
Thor Heyerdahl, (born October 6, 1914, Larvik, Norway—died April 18, 2002, Colla Micheri, Italy), Norwegian ethnologist and adventurer who organized and led the famous Kon-Tiki (1947) and Ra (1969–70) transoceanic scientific expeditions.

When did the Kon-Tiki sail?

1947
Kon-Tiki, raft in which the Norwegian scientist Thor Heyerdahl and five companions sailed in 1947 from the western coast of South America to the islands east of Tahiti.

Is Kon-Tiki based on 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 …

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.

How accurate is Kon-Tiki?

Historical accuracy While much of the story is historically accurate, screenwriter Petter Skavlan and director Joachim Rønning both felt the need to make the story more exciting for their two-hour feature film. The fictionalized elements have been criticized.

Who did Kon Tiki expedition?