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The Ra Expeditions
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The Ra Expeditions

work by Heyerdahl
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The Ra Expeditions were undertaken by Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl to demonstrate the possibility of ancient transoceanic cultural contact between Africa and the Americas.12

In 1969, Heyerdahl and a crew of seven sailed from Morocco in a papyrus boat named "Ra." This first attempt failed due to design flaws, causing the boat to founder after sailing 3,000 miles.1

Undeterred, Heyerdahl launched a second expedition in 1970 with "Ra II," a boat built by indigenous boatbuilders from Lake Titicaca. This time, the crew successfully crossed the Atlantic, reaching Barbados from Morocco in 57 days. These expeditions, while demonstrating the feasibility of ancient sea travel, did not gain widespread acceptance among anthropologists regarding Heyerdahl's theories of cultural diffusion.12

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  1. Ra
  2. Thor Heyerdahl

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