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Norway's Kon-Tiki museum to return thousands of Easter Island artefacts Norway's Kon-Tiki museum to return thousands of Easter Island artefacts
(about 7 hours later)
Norway has agreed to hand back thousands of artefacts removed from Easter Island by the explorer Thor Heyerdahl during his trans-Pacific raft expeditions in the 1950s.Norway has agreed to hand back thousands of artefacts removed from Easter Island by the explorer Thor Heyerdahl during his trans-Pacific raft expeditions in the 1950s.
An agreement was signed by representatives of Oslo’s Kon-Tiki Museum and officials of Chile’s culture ministry at a ceremony in Santiago as part of a state visit by Norway’s King Harald V and Queen Sonja.An agreement was signed by representatives of Oslo’s Kon-Tiki Museum and officials of Chile’s culture ministry at a ceremony in Santiago as part of a state visit by Norway’s King Harald V and Queen Sonja.
The museum pieces include carved artefacts and human bones from the Rapa-Nui, the first inhabitants of the remote Chilean island in the Pacific. The museum pieces include carved artefacts and human bones from the Rapa Nui, the first inhabitants of the remote Chilean island in the Pacific.
'Moai are family': Easter Island people to head to London to request statue back'Moai are family': Easter Island people to head to London to request statue back
“Our common interest is that the objects are returned and, above all, delivered to a well-equipped museum,” said the museum’s director Martin Biehl. “Our common interest is that the objects are returned and, above all, delivered to a well-equipped museum,” said the museum’s director, Martin Biehl. He warned, however, that the repatriation process would take time.
He warned however that the repatriation process “will take time”.
Heyerdahl’s family said he had long wanted to return the pieces he collected in expeditions in the mid-1950s and mid-1980s, currently exhibited in the Oslo museum.Heyerdahl’s family said he had long wanted to return the pieces he collected in expeditions in the mid-1950s and mid-1980s, currently exhibited in the Oslo museum.
The signing ceremony was also attended by Thor Heyerdahl Jnr who accompanied his father on one of his expeditions to the island in 1955, when he was 17. The signing ceremony was also attended by Thor Heyerdahl Jr, who accompanied his father on one of his expeditions to the island in 1955, when he was 17.
“The repatriation is a fulfilment of my father’s promise to the Rapa-Nui authorities, that the objects would be returned after they had been analysed and published,” he said.“The repatriation is a fulfilment of my father’s promise to the Rapa-Nui authorities, that the objects would be returned after they had been analysed and published,” he said.
Anthropologist and adventurer Heyerdahl became famous in 1947 when he and a crew of five crossed much of the Pacific on a reed raft, the Kon-Tiki. Heyerdahl, an anthropologist and adventurer, became famous in 1947 when he and a crew of five crossed much of the Pacific on a reed raft, the Kon-Tiki.
He was seeking to prove his theory that the Polynesian islands could have been settled by prehistoric South American people, and not by settlers from Asia as most scholars believed.He was seeking to prove his theory that the Polynesian islands could have been settled by prehistoric South American people, and not by settlers from Asia as most scholars believed.
Heyerdahl died in 2002 aged 87.Heyerdahl died in 2002 aged 87.
“The study of human remains – using DNA – could demonstrate a prehistoric contact between Rapa-Nui and South America, which was the main thesis of my father,” Thor Heyerdahl Jnr said. “The study of human remains – using DNA – could demonstrate a prehistoric contact between Rapa Nui and South America, which was the main thesis of my father,” Thor Heyerdahl Jr said.
“As a ministry we have the mission to respond to the just demand of the Rapa-Nui people to recover their cultural heritage,” Chile’s Culture Minister Consuelo Valdes said in a statement. “As a ministry, we have the mission to respond to the just demand of the Rapa Nui people to recover their cultural heritage,” Chile’s culture minister, Consuelo Valdes, said in a statement.
“Today, one more step has been taken through this historic agreement with Norway, which will enable the return of valuable cultural and symbolic pieces.”“Today, one more step has been taken through this historic agreement with Norway, which will enable the return of valuable cultural and symbolic pieces.”
The Rapa Nui island community is also demanding the British government return the Hoa Hakananai, one of the most spiritually important of the island’s stone monoliths, or maois, from the British Museum. The Rapa Nui island community is also demanding the British government return the Hoa Hakananai’a, one of the most spiritually important of the island’s moai, or monolithic statuesfrom the British Museum.
The maoi was stolen from the island in 1868 by the captain of a British frigate and given to Queen Victoria. The moai was stolen from the island in 1868 by the captain of a British frigate and presented to Queen Victoria.
ChileChile
NorwayNorway
Anthropology
AmericasAmericas
EuropeEurope
Museums
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