Did the early Middle Ages really exist?
This question in itself – and more so the answer ‘NO, the early Middle Ages did not exist’ – is surprising, to say the least. It contradicts all basic knowledge and attacks the historian’s self respect to such an extreme that the reader of this paper is asked to be patient, benevolent and open to radically new ideas.
Since 1998, a radical theory called the “Phantom Time Hypothesis” (PHT) has been propagating steadily through academic circles. The punchline: contemporary chronology has it wrong, and we’re currently living in (roughly) the year 1712. Although hardly credible, this is the kind of conspiracy theory (with lots of obscure footnotes) that makes my day: Umberto Eco, eat your heart out.
Also see here for a quick summary.