From Peru to Raroia, French Polonesia, 1947
Raroia is where the balsa raft Kon-Tiki reaches the shore after sailing across the Pacific Ocean from Peru.
Most anthropologists believe and believed that the people living in Polynesia came from west, from Asia. Thor Heyerdahl was convinced they came from the east, from South-America, using an old legend as evidence. In order to prove his point the balsa raft Kon-Tiki was built in Peru. The raft was named after a legendary sun-god, shared by the Inca people and the people of the Polynesian islands. Kon-Tiki started out with six men aboard. They sailed for 101 nights and days and after 8000 kilometers they stranded on Raroia in the Tuamotu Archipelago. The journey proved that it was possible that people in ancient times had crossed the ocean. According to the biographer Ragnar Kvam this is Thor Heyerdahls most important finding by all times. Thor Heyerdahl’s own film made about the expedition received an ”Oscar” and the book was sold in 60 million copies and translated into 70 languages.
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