Large zeta sums and zeros of the Riemann zeta function

For real $t$ and $x\ge 1$, set \[ S(x,t)=\sum_{n\le x} n^{\ii t}. \] We prove an unconditional inverse theorem relating large values of $S(x,t)$, with $|t|$ large, to zeros of the Riemann zeta function near height $t$. More precisely, if $T\le |t|\le 2T$, $\exp(\sqrt{\log T})\le x\le \sqrt T$, and $