The Sturnovula of my Drifting Amalgams universe are Stone Age avians.
I enjoy speculating about different evolutionary paths, but creative writing about animals requires a specialized approach to envisioning societies and manipulating environments.
Today’s task is to envision birds using tools as well as making them.
Rather watch a video?
Check out the YouTube version of this blog post.
Quick Primer: The History and Making of Stone Age Tools
First, let’s talk science.
At their most basic, all stone age tools are cores and flakes. Stone-flaking is the process of striking flakes off a stone core. Archaeologically, stone age tools are significant because striking a core to make a specific shape requires advanced levels of thought and planning.
Originally thought to be a product of modern humans, stone age tools appear to date back more than half a million years. …Potentially. Since the Stone Age began 40,000 years ago, it’s possible that modern humans were not the source of stone age tools.
Realistically, the higher thought and planning of modern humans may not have been needed for stone toolmaking. I say this because a common stone toolmaking approach is “least effort” flaking. For this approach, crafters strike a stone, then adjust their next strike based on the new core shape.
This method works for creating several stonework items, including weapons, grinding stones used to process food, and symbolic stones designed for non-utilitarian purposes.
This information is a solid starting point for science-based worldbuilding.
Bird Tool Use: Turning a Fictional Bird into a Toolmaker
The underlying question of my speculative sci-fi is: What if, on planets with different conditions than Earth, the most successful evolutionary traits belonged to non-humanoids?
The sturnovula of the Drifting Amalgams universe are sentient avian aliens who are developing increasingly sophisticated societies. And, alongside their fictional bird planetmates, they are the dominant species on the planet of Straephrob.
So now that I have a better sense of what types of stone age tools exist, it’s time to think about the needs of these intelligent, early-civilization avians.
For a civilization this young, basic survival is typically the species focus. That means protection and food. Their omnivore diet includes acorns and berries, so along with weapons, they’d need some sort of grinding implement. Reasonable, but their bodies are not designed for the type of flaking and sharpening that humans can do. So now what?
That’s where that idea of “least effort” flaking is interesting.
If I break that concept down, I’m really just saying that the toolmaker chips rocks until they have a useful shape.
That being the case, avians could drop stones from a great enough height for gravity to fracture them. Through trial and error and a bit of luck, they would end up with a pile of discardable flakes and usable tools.
Now that I have my fictional bird toolmakers and birds using tools, I’ll need to make sure I can reference this information later.
Creative Writing about Animals: Recording Bird Tool Use
Though simple, stone age tools are a type of technology. And it’s an important one for the development of the fictional bird species on Straephrob. So, to make sure I consistently reference this technology in all my books, I’m going to create technology characteristic sheets for stoneware.
I’ll keep the sheet for knives separate from the one for grinding stones since these two items will be developed at slightly different points in sturnovula civilization.
The technology template I’ve created for myself is designed to be relevant for more advanced societies, but I’ll still fill in all the sections. Because I’m creating a continuity guide, I want to include enough detail to remember my present-day train of thought.
To complete the sheet, I’ve added a bit of storytelling on top of the worldbuilding. I’ve assigned a specific sect as being responsible for spreading stone age tool use. Additionally, individuals carry favored tools wherever they go. And the type of tool they carry communicates their values.
And there you have it: fictional bird toolmaking and use.
Until next time, stay curious.