Every culture is as old as others. There has been change and evolution, but they are equally old. The crucial point is writing. Few cultures have left any ancient trace of their thoughts, words, or deeds. Countries which wish to rise above others often claim they are older. Some have evidence others just make it up.
Two cultures were effectively in touch for 3500 years: Egypt and Greece. The Egyptian pharaoh Amenophis III (1391-1353) knew and wrote about Greece. He was the father of Akhenaten and probably the grandfather of Tutankhamon. Amenophis III (or Amenhotep) had a statue of himself created with a list of subject peoples. These form the famous Aegean place names from the 14th century BC:
𓎡𓆑𓍘𓅱𓈉 kftjw Κρήτη Crete (accadaian Kaptara, bibl. Kaphtor)
𓍘𓇋𓈖𓄿𓇋𓇋𓅱 tinayw Δαναοί Danai
𓇋𓀁𓂞𓈖𓏭𓆷 imnyša Ἀμνισός Amnisos (Linear B 𐀀𐀖𐀛𐀰 a-mi-ni-so)
𓃀𓅡𓇋𓇋𓆷 bayšatj Φαιστός Phaistos (Linear B 𐀞𐀂𐀵 pa-i-to)
𓂓𓏤𓏏𓅱𓈖𓄿𓇋𓇋 katwnay Κυδωνία Cydonia (Linear B ku-do-ni-ja)
𓂞𓅱𓎡𓇋𓈖𓏲 mwkinw Μυκῆναι Mycenae
𓂧𓏭𓈎𓄿𓀠𓇋𓄿𓊃 dyqaias Τεγέα Tegea
𓂞𓏭𓍑𓄿𓈖𓇋𓄿𓈉 miḏania Μεσσάνα Messene (Linear B 𐀕𐀼𐀙 me-za-na)
𓏌𓊪𓏥𓂋𓏤𓇋𓇋𓈉 nwpray Ναυπλία Nauplion (Linear B 𐀙 𐀄 𐀠 𐀪 𐀍 na-u-pi-ri-jo)
𓂓𓏤𓍘𓏭𓇋𓂋𓏤𓈉 katyra Κύθηρα Cythera (linear B 𐀓 𐀳 𐀨 ku-te-ra)
𓍯𓏔𓈅𓏤𓂋𓇋𓇋𓏭 wajwry Ilion?
𓂓𓏤𓈖𓇋𓇋𓅱𓆷𓄿 kanywša Κνωσός Cnossos (linear B 𐀒𐀜𐀰 ko-no-so )
𓂋𓏭𓎡𓄿𓍘𓇋 rykati Λύκτος Lyctus (linear B 𐀬𐀑𐀵 ru-ki-to)
These place names indicate that during Amenophis III’s reign Greek cities and places were known. The spelling in middle Egyptian reflects that employed in Linear B script (the oldest form of Greek). Mycenaean culture in Greece and Crete wrote in linear B.
Egypt and Greece knew and wrote about each other at the same time. This is not a work of fiction. It is scientific and independent proof of direct contact between Mycenaean and Pharaonic cultures in 1400BC. This may be the oldest written acknowledgement between Africa and Europe.
The diplomatic exchanges found in the Amarna letters (reign of the pharaoh Akhenaten 1353-1336) reveal problems and differences between Mesopotamian and Egyptian relations. The inscription of Amenophis III, not only lists different Greek cities with their Greek names, but also indicates what he thought of them:
Heinrich Schliemann (1822-1890), the German businessman turned archaeologist, claimed that Mycenae was a real place and not a literary fiction. He did so because he read and knew the ancient texts. He started digging. He discovered Mycenae in Greece in 1876 (he found Troy in 1873). Without the ancient texts Schliemann would not have discovered neither Mycenae not Troy. Fast forward: now we have an inscription on a statue of Amenophis III near the Colossi of Memnon in Egypt which mentions Mycenae in hieroglyphs. A scarab has been found at Mycenae which bears a hieroglyph inscription with the name of Tiye, wife of Amenophis III.
Fiction has become scientific reality: diplomatic relations have existed for at least 3500 years between Egypt and Greece.