They are anything but dark. There has been plenty happening outside of Western Europe during that time. Just look at China, the Arabs, the Byzantines, and other parts of the world where civilizations were not only flourishing, but keeping excellent independent records that were simply ignored by that crackpot Fomenko.

Even in Western Europe, records and archeological evidence of the history of the period exist. The term and the reputations of the "dark ages" have simply been invented by Renaissance and Enlightenment scholars who were out to undermine the intellectual authority of the church. Calling the period which was dominated intellectually by the church, as simply "the dark ages", is an effective way to make a statement against the church.