The Kanhave Canal

Facts

Controlling Danish waters

By Maria Panum Baastrup, Mag.art. i forhistorisk arkæologi, København Universitet (17 stories)

The Kanhave Canal, which intersects the narrowest point of the island of Samsø, ranks among the greatest construction works of the ancient past. Approximately 500 metres long and 11 metres wide, the canal was dug by manpower to allow ships to pass from one side of Samsø to the other. It was passable by ships with a draft of one metre. The sides of the canal were partly clad with timber which has been tree-ring-dated to 726 AD. The Kanhave Canal is still visible as a depression in the landscape with Stavn Fjord on one side and Mårup Inlet on the other.

Public place

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Built by a powerful king

Story written by Maria Panum Baastrup

Time / Periode 726

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Samsø's unique position at the heart of Denmark" is likely to have determined construction of the ancient Kanhave Canal. Positioning a fleet in the natural harbour formed by Stavn Fjord afforded control over all vessels passing on either side of Samsø and other domestic Danish waters. This made it possible to intensify sea defence, intercept passing ships and levy tolls. There can be no doubt that building the canal was labour intensive, but it offered many advantages. A construction project on this scale can only have been supervised by an organised, centralised power. The Kanhave Canal thus indicates the presence of a powerful king as early as in the 700s. "