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How did Michael Ventris decipher Linear B in 1953?

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Neo-Assyrian clay tablet from the 7th century BC inscribed with dense cuneiform writing, known as the Flood Tablet from the Epic of Gilgamesh, displayed in the British Museum. — epigraphy The Flood Tablet, 11th cuneiform tablet in a series relating the Gilgamesh epic, from Nineveh, 7th century bce; in the British Museum, London.

The decipherment of Linear B was primarily the work of English architect and cryptographer Michael Ventris, who announced his breakthrough in 1952, with the formal publication of his findings alongside linguist John Chadwick following in 1953.123

Ventris achieved this success through a rigorous application of statistical analysis, examining the frequency and distribution of the script's syllabic signs. His progress accelerated significantly after the 1951 publication of additional texts discovered on the Greek mainland. By analyzing these patterns and utilizing clues from the arrangement of the signs, he determined that the script represented a very archaic form of the Greek language.14

Following his initial announcement, Ventris collaborated with Chadwick to assemble comprehensive evidence, which they presented in their 1953 paper, "Evidence for Greek Dialect in the Mycenaean Archives". This discovery provided definitive proof that the Mycenaeans were Greek-speaking, fundamentally transforming our understanding of Aegean history and the origins of the Greek language.142