Ravninge Bridge
The Ravning Bridge (Danish: Ravningbroen) was a former bridge across the meadows of Ravning Enge at Vejle River, 10 km south of Jellinge in Denmark.
The Ravning Bridge is thought to have been built in the Viking Age around 980 AD, ordered by King Harald Bluetooth, at the same time as the large scale construction projects of the Viking ring castles. As these fortresses, the Ravning Bridge was also only in use for a very few years. The wooden bridge was 5 metres broad and almost 760 metres long.
It was not until the construction of the Little Belt Bridge in 1935, that a longer bridge was built in Denmark.
The name is also seen spelled Ravninge Bridge (Danish: Ravningebroen).
Discovery
Wooden remains of the Ravning Bridge was discovered in 1934, 1953 and 1959 during some draining projects, but it was not until 1972, that a professional arhaeological excavation was launched at the site, when a landowner delivered samples from it for a carbon-14 dating at the Nationalmuseet. The expedition discovered that the large buried supporting oakwood poles of the former bridge was still intact and they also found remains of an old road on the north side of the bridge as well as traces of an old hollow way in the woodland hills surrounding the meadows.
Dendrochronology on woodsamples from the bridge remains has dated it to soon after 980 AD, but this dating has been questioned.[1][2]
Use and purpose
The purpose of the Ravning Bridge has been much debated, but later excavations in 1993 and 1996 has revealed that it was used both as a trading bridge and a jetty for ships. In the Viking Age the water levels were higher in Vejle Rivervalley and ships could navigate further inland and dock closer to the important royal seat of Jelling. The width of the bridge allows two trading wagons to pass each other.
A refuge fortification on a 70 m hill, overlooking the river valley was constructed much earlier in 100-200 AD in the Nordic Iron Age just north of the Ravninge Bridge. This fortification is known as Troldborg Ring (lit.: Troll-castle Ring). This attests to the former strategical importance of this area.
Whatever the purpose of the Ravning Bridge was, it does not show signs of much wear and tear in its day and it was already abandoned around 1000 AD. This has added to its mystery.
References
External links
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Coordinates: 55°40′16.1″N 9°20′46.8″E / 55.671139°N 9.346333°E