The Kon-Tiki Expedition: Setting Sail on April 28, 1947

On April 28, 1947, Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl and his crew embarked on the Kon-Tiki expedition, a daring journey across the Pacific Ocean. The expedition aimed to demonstrate that ancient peoples could have made long sea voyages, potentially facilitating cultural exchanges between distant civilizations.

Background

Thor Heyerdahl, an ethnographer and adventurer, developed a theory that the Polynesian islands could have been settled by people from South America rather than from Asia, as was the prevailing belief. To support his hypothesis, Heyerdahl proposed that ancient South Americans could have traveled across the Pacific Ocean using simple rafts.

The Kon-Tiki Raft

The raft, named Kon-Tiki after an Incan sun god, was constructed using materials and techniques that would have been available to pre-Columbian South American peoples. The raft was made primarily of balsa wood, with a simple sail and rudimentary steering system. The design was based on historical records and illustrations of ancient rafts.

The Crew

Heyerdahl was joined by five crew members, each bringing unique skills to the expedition:

1. Herman Watzinger - An engineer from Norway, Watzinger served as the second-in-command and was responsible for the technical aspects of the voyage.
2. Erik Hesselberg - A navigator and artist, Hesselberg was in charge of steering the raft and documenting the journey through sketches and paintings.
3. Knut Haugland - A radio expert and decorated World War II resistance fighter, Haugland managed the expedition’s communication equipment.
4. Torstein Raaby - Another radio operator and war hero, Raaby assisted in maintaining contact with the outside world.
5. Bengt Danielsson - A Swedish sociologist and steward, Danielsson handled provisions and documented the social dynamics of the crew.

The Voyage

The Kon-Tiki set sail from Callao, Peru, on April 28, 1947. The journey covered approximately 4,300 miles (about 6,900 kilometers) across the Pacific Ocean. The crew faced numerous challenges, including storms, sharks, and the constant threat of the raft breaking apart. Despite these obstacles, they relied on ocean currents and wind patterns to guide them.

Arrival and Impact

After 101 days at sea, the Kon-Tiki successfully reached the Raroia atoll in the Tuamotu Archipelago on August 7, 1947. The expedition captured the world’s imagination and sparked widespread interest in Heyerdahl’s theories. Although his hypothesis about South American origins of Polynesian culture remains controversial and largely unsupported by genetic evidence, the journey demonstrated the feasibility of long-distance ocean travel by ancient peoples.

Legacy

The Kon-Tiki expedition was a landmark event in the field of experimental archaeology and inspired further research into ancient maritime navigation. Heyerdahl’s book, “Kon-Tiki: Across the Pacific in a Raft,” became a bestseller, and a documentary film about the voyage won an Academy Award in 1951. The Kon-Tiki raft is now preserved in the Kon-Tiki Museum in Oslo, Norway, serving as a testament to human curiosity and the spirit of exploration.