Yes, you're right, Heyerdahl was trying to link Western Hemisphere to Polynedian migration. But what I thought was interesting (I just saw the Kon-Tiki documentary a couple months ago) was how primitive his boat was, and it made it on such a long voyage.
A primitive vessel COULD have made it from Old World to New, as well. There is no PROOF or EVIDENCE, but the possibility remains. Early mankind may have been more mobile than we give them credit.
Voyages Of The Pyramid Builders
Book Review:
Is it a mere coincidence that pyramids are found throughout our globe? Did cultures ranging across vast spaces in geography and time, such as the ancient Egyptians; early Bud-dhists; theMaya, Inca, Toltec, and Aztec civilizations of the Americas; the Celts of the British Isles; and even the Mississippi Indians of pre-Columbus Illinois, simply dream the same dreams and envision the same structures?
Robert M.Schoch-one of the world's preeminent geologists in recasting the date of the building of the Great Sphinx-believes otherwise. In this dramatic and meticulously reasoned book, Schoch, like anthropologist Thor Heyerdahl in his classic Kon-Tiki, argues that ancient cultures traveled great distances by sea. Indeed, he believes that primeval sailors traveled from the Eastern continent, primarily Southeast Asia, and spread the idea of pyramids across the globe,particularly to the New World of the Americas where they abounded until the days of the Conquistadors.
Author Biography: Robert M. Schoch, Ph.D., has been a full-time faculty member at the College of General Studies at BostonUniversity since 1984. He was featured in the Emmy-winning documentary The Mystery of the Sphinx.
The descendants of the ancient Olmec (Vera Cruz area of Gulf of Mexico) have legends their ancestors (7 brothers) came to their land on the backs of 7 turtles from the west. The Olmec date from approx. 2,500 B.C.or earlier. (sorry PC afficiandos, I don't use B.C.E.) Further, the Olmec and Mayan calendars have a starting date near or around 3,100 B.C. when some prominent, and as yet unknown, event occured.
You Mormon bashers won't like this, but the Book of Mormon mentions a people referred to as "Jaredites" who came to the americas shortly after the Tower of Babel (around 2,500 B.C.) in 8 ships made "...tight like a dish..." (a turtle shell would also be a good description) from the west. The core group of these Jaredites were from one family (brothers) and their friends.
Coincidence? You decide....