Episode 1 — Phantom Time

What if nearly 300 years of history… never happened?

In our first episode of Cooked & Curious, we’re diving into the Phantom Time Hypothesis — the controversial idea that roughly 297 years, were fabricated and inserted into our timeline.

German historian Heribert Illig argued that the early Middle Ages may not have happened the way we’ve been taught. Charlemagne, Otto III, Pope Sylvester II, the calendar, medieval architecture, historical documents, and even the year 1000 all become pieces of one hell of a historical puzzle.

But here’s the question:

Could you actually fake 300 years of history?

We’ll tell the story, break down the theory, look at the evidence, and then put it to the test using trees, radiocarbon dating, astronomical observations, Chinese and Islamic records, archaeology, coins, and more.

Was Illig onto something?

Or did he fall a little too far down the rabbit hole?

You decide.

Welcome to Cooked & Curious — where we tell the story, question it, and figure out where the evidence actually takes us.