Kon-Tiki raft

E553418

The Kon-Tiki raft is the balsa-wood vessel used by Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl in his 1947 Pacific Ocean expedition to demonstrate the possibility of ancient transoceanic contact.

All labels observed (4)

Label Occurrences
Kon-Tiki expedition 4
Kon-Tiki raft canonical 2
Kon-Tiki raft voyage of 1947 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (54)

Predicate Object
instanceOf balsa wood raft
experimental archaeological vessel
raft
arrivalArea Raroia atoll, Tuamotu Archipelago, French Polynesia
arrivalDate 1947-08-07
awarded Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature (for the 1950 film about the expedition)
builtInCountry Peru
captain Thor Heyerdahl
constructionMethod lashed logs without metal fastenings
countryOfOrigin Norway
crewMember Bengt Danielsson
Erik Hesselberg
Herman Watzinger
Knut Haugland
Thor Heyerdahl
Torstein Raaby
crewSize 6
currentLocation Kon-Tiki Museum, Oslo, Norway
linked to: Kon-Tiki Museum
departurePort Callao, Peru
linked to: Callao
distanceTraveled approximately 4300 miles
approximately 6900 kilometers
documentedIn book "Kon-Tiki: Across the Pacific in a Raft"
linked to: Kon-Tiki (book)

documentary film "Kon-Tiki" (1950)
endingRegion Polynesia
equippedWith US Army surplus equipment
canned food
fishing gear
navigation instruments
radio transmitter
water tanks
expeditionDuration 101 days
flag Norway
hasFeature small cabin built of balsa and bamboo
steering oar
hasHistoricalSignificance inspired interest in experimental archaeology and oceanic exploration
hasInsignia large painted face of the Inca god Kon-Tiki on the sail
launchDate 1947-04-28
launchPlace Callao, Peru
linked to: Callao
material balsa wood logs
bamboo
hemp ropes
mangrove wood
pine
namedAfter Inca sun god Viracocha (Kon-Tiki Viracocha)
linked to: Viracocha

Kon-Tiki
linked to: Kon-Tiki (book)
notableFor demonstrating that a primitive raft could drift from South America to Polynesia using prevailing winds and currents
oceanCrossed Pacific Ocean
operator Thor Heyerdahl
preservedIn Kon-Tiki Museum
purpose experimental test of Thor Heyerdahl's migration theory
to demonstrate the possibility of prehistoric transoceanic contact between South America and Polynesia
sailType square sail
startingRegion South America
usedIn Kon-Tiki expedition
linked to: Kon-Tiki (book)

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (8)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Kon-Tiki Museum exhibits Kon-Tiki raft
Kon-Tiki (book) describesExpedition Kon-Tiki expedition
linked to: Kon-Tiki raft
Kon-Tiki (book) basedOn Kon-Tiki raft voyage of 1947
linked to: Kon-Tiki raft
Kon-Tiki (book) depictsVessel Kon-Tiki raft
Thor Heyerdahl notableFor Kon-Tiki expedition
linked to: Kon-Tiki raft
Thor Heyerdahl ledExpedition Kon-Tiki expedition
linked to: Kon-Tiki raft
Ra papyrus boat remains relatedTo Kon-Tiki expedition
linked to: Kon-Tiki raft
Tigris expedition partOf Thor Heyerdahl expeditions
linked to: Kon-Tiki raft