THE KON-TIKI ARGUMENT

New Zealand Listener, Volume 28, Issue 716, 2 April 1953, Page 5

THE KON-TIKI ARGUMENT

Sir-I am happy to have provided "Viracocha" with amusement. A little mirth is all to the gaod. Let me assure him that I do not despise the amateur, Amateurs have often rendered good service to science. A little questioning of "authorities" is also good. Science could not have progressed had _ Aristotle’s teachings not been challenged. When, however, Dr. Duff and myself, among others, having calmly appraised Thor Heyerdahl’s hypothesis and found it wanting, give a few of our reasons for questioning its validity, the overtones of angry emotion in the letters of ‘‘Viracocha" show how annoyed he is that we should challenge one whom he actepts as an authority (another amateur, as it happens). For Mr. Heyerdahl’s courage as revealed in his voyage, modesty as shown in his very enjoyable film, and the industry shown in the compilation of his latest. boak, I have great admiration; but I cannot regard him as much of a scientist, though it would take several issues of The Listener to cover all the

points in which I think he errs. A true scientist examines all the facts which tell against his hypothesis, in order to test it. Heyerdahl does not do this. I assure "Viracocha" I have considered "what culture source conditioned Maori carving to echo original motifs when once again the migrants found big timber" and the conclusion is none. The argument as "Viracocha" states it involves. a British Columbian carving motif being taken to the Pacific, passing through many different forms to the various islands, and reverting to its original design in New Zealand, because of the "big timber." New Zealand is not the only Polynesian-occupied island in the Pacific which has big timber. The Maori voyaged here from Tahiti in large canoes, and the earlier wave of Moahunter Polynesians presumably possessed them, too, though we cannot prove it. But why did not the Moa-hunter revert to British Columbian art? He had had less time to forget it. I leave readers to judge of the soundness or otherwise of the "carving counter-argument." It may interest "Viracocha"’to know: that a green jade adze blade found in China is an exact counterpart of the ceremonial greenstone adze of the Maori. Presum- ably, even "Viracocha" would not suggest the Maori was also Chinese? Why not, also, an American origin for the After all, they have a common possession in the pitch-pipe. If only "Viracocha" would understand that neither culture contact not accidental similarities imply physical identity, this correspondence might get somewhere.

DOODLEBUG

(Christchurch).