 Detail from a 1593 engraving, showing the remains of the former ring fort of Nonnebakken | |
  Nonebakken Location of the site in Denmark | |
| Location | Odense,Denmark |
|---|---|
| Type | Viking ring fortress |
| History | |
| Founded | c. 980 |
| Periods | Iron Age,Viking Age |
| Criteria | Cultural: |
| Designated | 2023(45thsession) |
| Part of | Viking-Age Ring Fortresses |
| Reference no. | 1660-001 |
Nonnebakken (literally, "The Nun Hill") is a hill inOdense,Denmark. It is the site of one of Denmark's six formerViking ring castles,[1][2] built during the reign ofSweyn Forkbeard, who had forced his fatherHarold Bluetooth to leave the country and seek refuge with theJomsvikings onWollin (modern Poland) around 975. The fort enabled its occupier to control theOdense River passing next to the hill.
The name refers to aBenedictine nunnery located here in earlier times. At the end of the 12th century, the nuns left the site to build a new church in Dalum to the southeast, now a suburb of Odense.
The earthwork ramparts can be recognized in the "panorama of Odense" in the medieval tomeCivitates Orbis Terrarum fromGeorg Braun andFrans Hogenberg. The panorama appears as plate 30 in Volume 5, finished in 1598.[3] Plate 30 wasengraved in 1593, based on information fromHeinrich Rantzau or from sketches he gave in order. It also appears on the panorama of Odense published by Braunius in 1593.
The archaeological remains of Nonnebakken took heavy damage during the late 19th century, when a building for theOdd Fellowlodge was constructed on the site. In the 20th century, scientific excavations led by Fyns Stiftsmuseum revealed that the circular castle had an inner diameter of 120 m and was built in the years 980-1000, similar to the other Viking ring castles.
Along with four other Viking ring castles in Denmark, in 2023 Nonnebakken was inscribed on theUNESCOWorld Heritage List because of its unique architecture and testimony to the strategic and military power of theHouse of Knýtlinga (Jelling dynasty).[4]
Although finds have been reported from 1775 and 1889, the extent of the whole structure was first determined in 1953. In 1988, archaeological excavations were conducted in relation to a construction project involving cable laying. A filled ditch with a pointed profile around the fortress was observed. It was at least 4 m wide and 2 m deep, with a berm of maximal 10–12 m. The latest filling could be dated to the time of the nunnery. The profile of a pointed bottom ditch 8 m wide and some 4 m deep, was also excavated in the northeast and the northwest. During excavations prior to larger construction works for heating pipes in 1995/97/98, a ditch 11 m wide and 3 m deep was observed. An oaken spade was unearthed, dated bydendrochronology to the "functioning" time of the ring castle. In 2002, excavations revealed parts of the old nunnery.
55°23′32.10″N10°23′17.35″E / 55.3922500°N 10.3881528°E /55.3922500; 10.3881528