Alternate historical chronology
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An alternate historical chronology is a historical approach that discards or rearranges elements of the commonly-accepted history of human civilizations and replaces them with new narratives. Alternate historical chronologies can be used to prop up ideological or political claims, to reap profits from book sales, or simply to attack an established branch of knowledge for being non-inclusive. These chronologies frequently present themselves as self-enclosed systems that derive their authority from the creator's personal charisma. Revisionist histories--dissenting views within the academic discipline of history--should not be included within this category, provided that they are based upon logical arguments, verifiable data, and are formed by individuals conversant in accepted historiography.
Alternate histories, though false, can be particularly compelling because of their broad scope and their ability to pick and choose evidence used. While most "real" historians are aghast at this silliness, sometimes the proponents of these theories make inroads into popular media.
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[edit] "Theorists" and their "theories"
Please note that none of these "theorists" are trained historians.
[edit] Anatoly Timofeevich Fomenko
Many of the greatest discoveries in history have been founded by so-called "amateurs", but this doesn't mean Fomenko is correct. Fomenko is considered a top mathematician, being a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences but he is most famous for his historical work, revising orthodox historical chronology. Fomenko's "New Chronology" asserts that most of recorded history was composed by Church mandate, for the purpose of validating the historical placement of Biblical events. These events are commonly accepted among professional historians as being non-historical in nature.[1]
His theories have been endorsed by several prominent people in Russia, including former chess champion Garry Kasparov, a genius and polymath of much renown - so it must be right.[2]
[edit] Heribert Illig
Illig's "Phantom Time Theory" consists of the idea that several pre-1000 CE centuries, specifically the period 614-911 CE, were fabricated and "inserted" into the historical record[3][4]. Supposedly, this took place at the command of Holy Roman Emperor Otto III who wished to be on the throne come the "millennium".
This theory would eliminate or displace, among other things, a fair number of the Merovingian ruling dynasty and most of the Carolingians (including Charlemagne), the Battle of Tours in 732, the Viking raids of the 8th and 9th centuries, and the establishment of both the Duchy of Normandy and the Kingdom of East Francia, which later became the Holy Roman Empire.
Illig's theory is geographically limited to France and Germany, so it is unclear how he intends to account for the events that are supposed to have happened elsewhere in the world during the period in question.
[edit] Immanuel Velikovsky
Velikovsky's ideas in no way relate to those of Fomenko or Illig. Attempts have been made throughout history to verify the accuracy of Biblical scripture through the use of falsified historical information. Velikovsky's ideas are an example of this trend.
Velikovsky's so-called Revised Chronology was an attempt to reconcile the history of the ancient Near East, particularly that of Egypt, with the historical accounts found in the Bible. A central concept for Velikovsky is that of alter egos: historical characters who are named by different names in different sources, but actually refer to the same person. In this way, Queen Hatshepsut becomes the Queen of Sheba, and Thutmose III King Shishak of 1 Kings 11:40. On average, the Revised Chronology requires that the commonly accepted chronology of Egypt be changed by about 500 years.
