American Indians in the Pacific: The Theory Behind the Kon-Tiki Expedition

London: George Allen & Unwin, c. 1952. The book and dust jacket are in very good condition. . Binding: Original publisher’s brown cloth with gilt text on spine. Top edge dyed brown. Illustrated dust jacket. , Notes: Thor Heyerdahl (1914 – 2002) was a Norwegian adventurer and ethnographer with a background in zoology, botany, and geography. He became notable for his Kon-Tiki expedition in 1947, in which he sailed 8,000 km (5,000 mi) across the Pacific Ocean in a hand-built raft from South America to the Tuamotu Islands. The expedition was designed to demonstrate that ancient people could have made long sea voyages, creating contacts between separate cultures. This was linked to a diffusionist model of cultural development. Heyerdahl subsequently made other voyages designed to demonstrate the possibility of contact between widely separated ancient people. He was appointed a government scholar in 1984. Bookplate of Peter Antony Lanyon-Orgill on verso of top cover. , Size: 4to (246x182mm). , Illustration: Complete with numerous photographs and maps (several are colour folding maps). , Category: Book Americas Indians; Book Voyages General; Book Pacific; Book Social Sciences