Pre-Columbian rafts voyaged as far as Mexico and introduced metallurgy to the civilizations of that country. Some scholars and adventurers of the 20th and 21st century have asserted that the rafts and their crews journeyed thousands of miles across the Pacific to Polynesia, most notably Thor Heyerdahl who reached Polynesia on the Kon-Tiki raft. Several other people and groups have also built rafts based on prehistoric models and undertaken trans-Pacific voyages. Balsa is the Spanish word for raft. The use of rafts for commerce on the coasts of Peru and Ecuador, from northern Chile to southern Colombia, continued until the late 19th
Heyerdahl Award academia, science, government, NGO’s and the maritime industry. It is possible to submit nominations online at www.heyerdahlaward.com. The Thor Heyerdahl Environmental Award is additionally supported by Guard, Skuld, Det Norske Veritas and Trade Winds. Heyerdahl Award The Thor Heyerdahl International Maritime Environmental Award was established in 1999 by the explorer and scientist Thor Heyerdahl (1914–2002) and the Norwegian Shipowners' Association. The prize recognizes candidates from the shipping industry that have made an outstanding contribution to the environment. To qualify for the award, candidates must have demonstrated exceptional technical innovation and environmental work in correspondence with Thor Heyerdahl’s spirit for the