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Phantom Time Hypothesis
The years 614-911 AD never happened. They were fabricated by Holy Roman Emperor Otto III. We're actually living in the 1700s. Charlemagne never existed. The calendar is a lie. A historian's wild theory.
1991
Global
0 The Phantom Time Hypothesis claims 297 years never happened.
The Theory
Heribert Illig, 1991:
- German historian
- Proposed hypothesis
- Early Middle Ages fabricated
- By Otto III
- Pope Sylvester II helped
The Claim
What it says:
- Years 614-911 fake
- Calendar adjusted wrong
- Documents forged
- Charlemagne invented
- Real year ~1727
The Evidence
Arguments made:
- Few archaeological finds
- Suspicious documents
- Calendar discrepancies
- Political motivation
- Gaps in record
The Problems
Why it fails:
- Islamic records exist
- Chinese records exist
- Byzantine records exist
- Dendrochronology (tree rings)
- Overwhelming evidence
Why It Persists
Appeal:
- Conspiracy thinking
- Medieval mystery
- Calendar distrust
- Fun to consider
- Good story
The Lesson
What it teaches:
- Extraordinary claims
- Need extraordinary evidence
- Multiple sources matter
- Independent verification
- History is knowable