Ancient Trading Raft Sails Anew [ Thor Heyerdahl did it first ]

ScienceDaily ^ | May 13, 2009 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology

[SunkenCiv]

For the first time in nearly 500 years, a full-size balsa-wood raft just like those used in pre-Columbian Pacific trade took to the water on Sunday, May 10. Only this time, instead of the Pacific coast between Mexico and Chile where such rafts carried goods between the great civilizations of the Andes and Mesoamerica as long as a millennium ago, the replica raft was floated in the Charles River basin. The faithful reproduction of the ancient sailing craft, built from eight balsa logs brought from Ecuador for the project, was created in less than six weeks by 30 students in the Ancient Materials class taught by Professor of Archeology and Ancient Technology Dorothy Hosler of the department of Materials Science and Engineering. The replica was based on an analysis carried out by Hosler and her former student Leslie Dewan '06, which was published last year in the Journal of Anthropological Research. Based on drawings and descriptions recorded by Spanish, Portuguese and Dutch explorers, Dewan and Hosler figured out the dimensions and construction methods that most likely were used for the ancient craft, and reproduced these as accurately as possible. While some other attempts have been made to reproduce the ancient craft, including a one-third scale version built by Dewan and other students five years ago, none had previously copied the ancient designs and materials so precisely. No modern materials were used in the construction.

[SunkenCiv]

Students from Professor of Archeology and Ancient Technology Dorothy Hosler's class work on making the full-size authentic replica of a pre-Columbian South American balsa oceangoing raft on the Charles river. Here Leslie Dewan and Feng Wu work. (Credit: Photo / Donna Coveney)

[SunkenCiv]

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[ThanhPhero]

So what is Thor Heyerdahl, chopped liver?

[1rudeboy]

TRADE!!!

[Paladin2]

Those deck planks appear to have been sawn and planed using modern equipment, including steel. Also the students were not likely consuming the diet of the people of the time.

Therefore it's totally BOGUS. ;-)

[theDentist]

...none had previously copied the ancient designs and materials so precisely. No modern materials were used in the construction.

Yet the photo shows Ms Dewan using nylon rope in the construction. Ha! who knew the pre-Columbians invented nylon?

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Space aliens gave them the technology, which was lost by the Spaniards or something...

[Paladin2]

The rope looks like marijuana to me.

The paddles they used in another photo appear to be made using modern glues.

[Paladin2]

"Space aliens gave them the technology, which was lost by the Spaniards or something.."

I've always wondered how Mexico got to be the way it is today. Thanx.

[Uri’el-2012]

Thor Heyerdahl used bundled reeds and all native products.

This is totally bogus dude !

[Covenantor]

Thor Heyerdahl did it in 1947

http://www.kon-tiki.no/Ny/e_aapning.php

How the hell did she get to be a professer of Archeology and Ancient Technology? A basket weaving degree would have been more appropriate

[Paladin2]

No, Thor did a second craft in the ME called the Ra. Don't be so easily confused.

Do some research on your own before letting the rest of know that you may be a compleat idiot. ;-)

[Paladin2]

“rest of” —> “rest of us”

[Paladin2]

"The Feast of St. Xenia is celebrated in the Orthodox church on January 24, the day on which she died."

She was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church on February 6, 1988. Her feast day in the O.S. is January 24,

Interesting, two St. Xenias.

[Mr Rogers]

I get the feeling the ‘reporter’ is a friend of the Professor...and taking what she says at face value.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080319114619.htm

I think the Kon-Tiki was probably more accurate, and certainly underwent a more severe test!

http://www.amazon.com/Kon-Tiki-Across-Pacific-Thor-Heyerdahl/dp/0848805275/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242398819&sr=1-1

[SunkenCiv]

:’) Pretty sure it did. And the professor probably never heard of Heyerdahl in any coherent way.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks!

[SunkenCiv]

The claim of the researcher, yes, I agree. Heyerdahl even cut his logs in Ecuador, just like this project did. Gee, wonder where *that* idea came from? The original Kontiki raft at least used to be on display in a museum in Scandinavia. It had to be recovered from that reef, so parts of it are probably reproductions, but they were made by the people who did it the first time.

[Uri’el-2012]

"The Feast of St. Xenia is celebrated in the Orthodox church on January 24, the day on which she died."

She was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church on February 6, 1988. Her feast day in the O.S. is January 24,

Interesting, two St. Xenias.

What a complete and utter ignorant illiterate doofus.

try reading ~xeniast

I lived on Xenia Street in Denver.

I do not subscribe to the paganism
of having the Pope declaring someone a saint.

I know by Holy Scriptures that I am one of Yah'shua's saints.

shalom b'SHEM Yah'shua HaMashiach

[Uri’el-2012]

Do some research on your own before letting the rest of know that you may be a compleat idiot. ;-)

Kon-Tiki