pre-literate society

this term "sometimes assumes that written communication is superior to other forms, that people who can't read or cultures and religious communities that rely more heavily on oral communication are inferior. A person from an oral culture, for example, is likely to have a much more developed memory than a literate person" (Creating Just Language, a publication of the 8th Day Center for Justice, a Catholic social justice organization). Use instead nonliterate or aliterate. Better yet, instead of the quick label, describe how the group communicates and preserves their history.