"Linear B"

Linear B is a syllabic script that was used to write the Mycenaean language during the Bronze Age. In this alternate timeline, it was not a script adapted from Linear A, but rather an independent creation of the Mycenaean ruling class. The script was used primarily for administrative tasks such as accounting, record-keeping, and legal documents. Linear B was employed for inscriptions on clay tablets, while Hellenic Greek was used for religious texts and artistic works.

The Mycenaean culture flourished until approximately the 12th century BCE when its civilization collapsed. While many aspects of Mycenaean culture were lost to history, Linear B managed to survive. This was due to a group of Mycenaeans who migrated to Cyprus and established a new society that preserved the use of Linear B. In this way, Linear B avoided the same fate as cuneiform and hieroglyphics, becoming one of the few examples of a Bronze Age script to remain in continuous use to the present day.

As a consequence of its survival, Linear B had a significant influence on the development of other writing systems. In this alternate timeline, the Mycenaean migration to Cyprus led to a blending of Linear B with the Phoenician script, resulting in the creation of the Aramaic alphabet. Furthermore, Linear B informed the development of the classical Greek alphabet, which in turn influenced numerous other scripts, including Latin, Cyrillic, and Arabic.

Today, Linear B continues to be used on Cyprus and is recognized as an official language of the island. As scholars continue to examine its relationship to other early writing systems, the study of Linear B remains an active area of research. Among other things, it offers unique insights into the cultural and linguistic history of the Aegean region during a pivotal period that straddled the transition between the Bronze Age and Iron Age.