Proto-Society

A Proto-Society is the very earliest kind of sophont society formed, even before a species develops sophisticated tool use. Language, found tools, and other technologies predominate.

• It is a TL-0 society.
• It is a kind of society capable of forming a stable government or polity.

Description (Specifications)

Such a society is far more advanced than creatures or animals, though not quite as accomplished as a sophont society that can use tools to make more sophisticated tools.

Key Identifier Characteristics

There are two main identifiers of such societies:

• A. Proto-sophontdom: The evolution of a species to develop various kinds of basic technologies, endo-technologies called "internal technologies," such as language, advanced intraspecies cooperation, and biological adaptations free of external technologies such as tools or fire. Some think of these endo-technologies as strictly evolutionary, while other feel that this is the point at which a lifeform stops being a creature and starts being a sophont, as in past biological evolutionary development, the beginnings of non-tool-based technology. The exact point of departure or hallmarks are highly disputed by sophontologists.
• B. The Rise of Technology: At this stage, a species develops basic technologies, exo-technologies called "external technologies," such as tools and fire. Of course, such "external technologies" are highly dependent on the environment and species themselves. Jovionoids, for instance, often exist in environments where fire is not possible. Other species may exist on fluid worlds with vastly different environments and environmental limitations than the typical terrestrial planet with a Terra-norm environment.

History & Background (Dossier)

The term is largely synonymous with Proto-Civilization.

Standard Polity Growth Sequence

MACRO LEVEL:

• Proto-Society → Society → Civilization → Singularity (Post-civilizational)

MICRO LEVEL:

• Proto-Society → Band Society → Tribal Society or Chiefdom → City-State → Nation-State → World-State → Pocket Empire → Interstellar State → Intergalactic State → Final State → Singularity

References & Contributors (Sources)

This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Far Future Enterprises or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.

• Traveller Wiki Editorial Team
• Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology Maksim-Smelchak of the Ministry of Science