# The Kanhave Canal on Samsø (726)

URL: https://allhistories.com/denmark/timeline/726-the-kanhave-canal-on-samso
Themes: Key Events

Tree-ring dating shows that the timber used to line the Kanhave Canal across the island of Samsø was felled in 726 CE. The canal, about 500 metres long and 11 metres wide, cut through the narrow isthmus of the island. It allowed ships to cross quickly between Stavns Fjord and the Kattegat, giving whoever controlled Samsø command over sea traffic in the Kattegat and the approaches to the Baltic. Digging it required moving more than 11,000 cubic metres of earth, an effort that implies a strong central authority.

## Why it matters
The Kanhave Canal is striking evidence that a powerful ruler was able to command resources across Danish waters decades before the Viking Age.

Ruler at the Time: [Ongendus](https://allhistories.com/denmark/rulers/ongendus)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Samsø](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsø)
- [lex.dk — Kanhavekanalen](https://lex.dk/Kanhavekanalen)
- [Viking Ship Museum — The Kanhave Canal, Samsø](https://vikingeskibsmuseet.dk/en/professions/education/viking-knowledge/the-viking-age-geography/runesten-og-billedsten/spor-efter-vikingerne/kanhavekanalen)
- [Wikipedia — Viking Age](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viking_Age)