When the Greek-speaking Mycenaeans descended into the Aegean basin around 1600 BCE, they encountered the Minoans —a highly sophisticated, literate, and artistically advanced civilization centered on the island of Crete. At the time, the Mycenaeans were primarily a tribal, warrior-dominated society. Recognizing the immense cultural power of the Minoans, the Mycenaean elite did not simply conquer; they engaged in a massive, centuries-long process of cultural appropriation and adaptation. This prof