Type 2 Societies

Members of a paleolithic Type-2 society are capable of crafting; altering found objects into tools intended for specific uses. They are also more intellectually advanced, capable of complex problem-solving, abstract reasoning, foresight, and more complex communication. They may be on the cusp of an agricultural revolution.

A New Caledonian crow uses a cut leaf as a tool to forage for insects (photograph by Gavin Hunt)

Type 1 Societies

Type-1 societies are marked by the use of tools and/or language, albeit usually in a limited form. Other than this, they remain indistinguishable from animals.

A wild dolphin carrying a sponge to use for foraging. (photograph by Ewa Krzyszczyk)

Measuring Societal Levels

I've been looking for a system of classifying different societies. This ended up being a lens through which I (and hopefully others) can examine other science fiction, discuss actual real-world history, and maybe even a tool for other writers wanting to correct/rationalize/subvert some of the tropes that tend to creep into sci-fi (like single-industry planets, alien bazaars, casual space-travel, the cyberpunk/space-opera divide, etc).

The Kardashev Scale is so vague as to be useless and doesn't really scale down (without needing multiple decimal places), and the Three Age system doesn't really scale up. Neither of them gives a handy way to know just what goes on in any of the societies they "describe," or what kind of challenges each society might face.