The “phantom time” hypothesis states that Charlemagne did not exist.
THE PHANTOM TIME HYPOTHESIS SHOWS THAT MOST MEDIEVALS WERE NOT
This theory asserts the fact that time and calendar cannot be relied upon. Everyone is used to the story that we have been taught and that it is 2017 now, but that may change. Heribert Illig, a historian from Germany, stated that this is not 2017, but 1720. He also stated that the Gregorian calendar is nothing but a lie and that a big chunk from the Middle Ages never happened, but was invented.
Illig stated that he has all the archaeological evidence that can prove that a large chunk of the Middle Ages did not exist, but was invented. The Illig theory was proposed in 1991 and called the phantom time hypothesis. He claims that three world rulers conspired in AD 1000 to change the dating system. They were: Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII, Holy Roman Emperor Otto III and Pope Sylvester II.
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THE CALENDAR HAS BEEN CHANGED FOR OTTO TO RUN IN AD 1000
The calendar was changed so that it looked like Otto began his reign in 1000 AD, instead of 996. This was due to the fact that 1000 sounded much more significant and corresponded to the year of the Lord. Illig claims that the three altered documents that existed and created historical events that were falsified. Illig also stated that the Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne was not the real ruler; he was only something like King Arthur, as was said in the legends. He claims the falsification added 297 years of history.
Illig argues that the dating system of medieval artifacts is inadequate, and people rely on what was simply written in history, and therefore it is their own fault. A study he conducted found that the years between 614 and 911 were not the same. Before 614, the years were filled with many significant events as well as after 911; however, the intervening years were very meager in terms of events. He goes on to say that the Julian and Gregorian calendars only complicate matters, since there are mathematical differences between them.
IN THE GRIGORIAN CALENDAR, THE YEAR IS 11 MINUTES SHORT THAN THE JULIAN CALENDAR
According to the Julian calendar, the year is 365.25 days, while the Gregorian calendar used today has a full year that is 11 minutes shorter. Illig also noted that Roman architecture in the 10th century in Western Europe was too modern for the time in which it is believed to have been built. Although the "Phantom Time" hypothesis seems fantastic, some scholars support it.
In 1995, Dr. Hans-Ulrich Nimitz published an article in which he asked if the early Middle Ages really existed, and he argued that it did not. He stated that the Roman emperor Augustus lived 1,700 years ago, not 2,000 years ago. Many of his statements are consistent with those of the Illig, including the differences between the Gregorian and Julian calendars.
Other historians criticize this hypothesis and state that the dates of solar eclipses have been recorded, and various historical events have been documented from other parts of the globe that overlap some missing time periods.