1914- . Norwegian ethnologist. He sailed on
the ancient-Peruvian-style raft Kon Tiki from
Peru to the Tuamotu Islands along the
Humboldt Current 1947, and in 1969-70 used
ancient-Egyptian-style papyrus reed boats to
cross the Atlantic in attempt. His
expeditions proved that ancient civilizations
could have travelled the oceans in similar
fashion. His voyages are described in Kon
Tiki, translated 1950, and The Ra
Expeditions, translated 1971. He also crossed
the Persian Gulf 1977, written about in The
Tigris Expedition, translated 1981.