Let us suppose, the 'purging of the centuries' Leo of Vercelli had requested was put into effect immediately after the death of Gregory V. by the new pope Silvester II. (Gerbert of Aurillac) – one year late, however. Now it became necessary, to implement the new year-count reference efficiently and quiet (At least the Holy Father will have realized that a reform like this had the potential to escalate into an uncontrollable religious conflict).

Early in the year 1000 C.E. the Emperor Otto III. visited Aachen. There he uncovered the relics of his ancester Càrolus, who had passed away 186 years before. Otto removed the burial objects and extracted a tooth from the skull. He replaced the missing nose of the dead by a gold sheet, before he left the crypt. An intense description of the events at Aachen has been preserved within the chronicle of the piemontenian monastery at Novalese, supposedly based on an eye-witness report:

"Nach vielen Jahren kam Kaiser Otto III. in die Gegend, wo Karls Leichnam geziemend begraben ruhte. An den Ort des Begräbnisses stieg er zusammen mit zwei Bischöfen und dem Grafen Otto von Lomello hinab. Der Kaiser selbst war der vierte. Jener Graf erzählte die Sache folgendermaßen: Wir traten bei Karl ein. Er lag nämlich nicht, wie üblicherweise die Leiber anderer Verstorbener, sondern er saß wie lebendig auf einem Thron, war mit einer goldenen Krone gekrönt, hielt das Szepter in den Händen mit angezogenen Handschuhen, durch die bereits die Fingernägel durchbohrend herausgewachsen waren. Über ihm war ein aus Kalk und Marmor ziemlich gut gebautes Gewölbe. Wir beschädigten es beim Hinkommen, indem wir ein Loch hineinbrachen. Als wir dann zu ihm eintraten, nahmen wir einen sehr starken Geruch wahr. Mit gebeugten Knien richteten wir sofort ein Gebet an ihn. Kaiser Otto bekleidete ihn dann mit weißen Gewändern, beschnitt ihm die Nägel und stellte alles Abgefallene um ihn wieder her. Nichts von seinen Gliedern war bis dahin durch Verwesung vernichtet, nur von seiner Nasenspitze fehlte ein wenig. Sie ließ der Kaiser sogleich aus Gold ergänzen und ging dann weg, nachdem er aus (Karls) Mund einen Zahn gezogen und das Gewölbe wieder hatte herstellen lassen" [Chronicon Novaliciense, ed. Gian Carlo Alessio. Torino 1982, III 32, S.182; Übersetzung: Görich S.383 in 'Herrschaftsrepräsentation im ottonischen Sachsen' (Vorträge und Forschungen 46). Sigmaringen 1998]

A visit within the lost and rediscovered tomb facing the upright sitting mummy of Charlemagne... – this may sound quite a bit overdone. But who could conceive the detail with the missing nose-tip? His 'Charles' would have been inevitably disqualified as a ruler (let's just recall the fate of Justinian II. 'Rhinometos' )! There are just two explanations: The nose of the death was indeed missing - In this case, Otto III. had found and opened the real grave of his forefather Càrolus Nazon (*480 †516 – 'Charly the Nose'). Alternatively, Otto new about the missing nose, possibly from records within his family – likewise an argument for the physical existence of Càrolus (Interesting to know: Although son of a king, Càrolus was the only possible candidate for the succession of king Clovis the Great who was not killed within the purge of 510 A.D.).
 

What was the intention behind this ghoulish spectacle? It did generate 'evidence' for the newly set year-count scheme! Of course, a 'Mighty Charlemagne' could not rule before the decline of the Merowingians. But if Charles was real, all events and persons that were dated the old way referring to the incarnation of the Lord were thus shifted into past times long ago. In order to leave no room for whatsoever doubts about the validity of the year-cont, the sheer existence of Charlemagne was pretendend. In addition, to create ultimate credibility, events and doings of other rulers were assigned to 'Charles': 

One thing to maintain was the descendance of Charlemagne (and of Otto III.) from the Menapian rulers that was explaining likeweise the ascent of the Carolingian dynasty. This could be provided without attracting attention by a fabricated (Fredegar-) chronicle identifying Pippin the Old with Pippin of Landen, the descendant of the Menapians. The latter, so the chronicle, had installed Chlothar II. on the throne. His descendents then served the Merovingian kings as mayor domus (chancellor) and, ultimately, they themselves became the rulers...

No more action was required, in order to manipulate the chronology of the occidental world! The rest may be called 'self-organization':

In addition, glorifying court traditions, literary fancifulness, make-belive of individual and church possesions, fraud and greed led to many false documents and traditions. So far, there has been no doubt about these motivations and their influence...

HEK  12/08