Thor Heyerdahl dies

Thursday, 18 April, 2002, 18:40 GMT 19:40 UK

The renowned Norwegian explorer and archaeologist Thor Heyerdahl has died of cancer at the age of 87.

He passed away in his family home at Colla Micheri, northern Italy, after a long illness.

Heyerdahl had undergone surgery last year, but it failed to halt his disease. He was admitted to hospital in March when the cancer spread to his brain.

Heyerdahl will be forever remembered as the Kon-Tiki man. In 1947 he skippered the tiny balsawood raft on a 6,000 kilometre journey from Peru to Polynesia.

It proved, he said, that ancient cultures could have sailed to, and populated, the South Pacific.

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