Module 1 History: Around the World

Historical Significance of Fingerprints

• Kejimkujik Lake, Nova Scotia: Features a handprint outline by Aboriginal people, possibly the first recorded depiction of friction ridge detail showing flexion creases and thumb whorls.

• L'ille de Gavrinis, France: A Neolithic burial chamber contains stone carvings resembling friction ridge patterns, highlighting the ambiguity of identification without anatomical context.

• Middle Eastern Clay Pottery: Excavated ruins revealed prints encased in building materials, aiding the dating of artifacts and ownership identification. Trademarks date back to 1855-1913 BC, similar to modern practices.

• Royal Collections: Hammurabi’s era (1700s BC) included documented arrest fingerprints; King Tutankhamen's tomb displayed fingerprints pressed into walls, indicating early forensic techniques.

• Earthenware from China: Identifiable prints discovered on pottery date back over 6000 years, considered the oldest recovered prints.

• Emperor Ts-In-She, China: First emperor to authenticate wooden tablets with a personal symbol and fingerprint, establishing the tradition of clay finger seals.

• Wei and Jin Dynasties, China: Transitioned from clay to silk and paper, utilizing hand prints for contract validation through the act of hand tracing and stamping.

• Deed of Hand Mark, China: Introduced major creases and signature combinations for certifications, particularly in military documentation from 715 AD.

• Blood Stamping and Divorce, Japan: Use of ring finger stamping in legal documents, including divorce papers, expanded from Chinese practices, facilitating accessibility for illiterate husbands.

Key Figures in Fingerprint Study

• Marcello Malpighi (1628-1694): Italian anatomist recognized for utilizing microscopes for medical studies and publishing findings on friction ridge functionality, enhancing understanding of grip and mobility.

• Nehemiah Grew (1641-1712): Described ridge details and skin features in microscopical studies, contributing significantly to the early knowledge of skin patterns and sweat pores.

• J.C.A. Mayer (1747-1801): Acknowledged the uniqueness of friction ridge arrangements, emphasizing the individuality of fingerprints.

• Thomas Bewick (1753-1828): A British engraver noted for studying fingerprint details, producing recognizable woodcarvings that incorporated his signature within fingerprint studies.

• Johannes Purkinje (1787-1869): Pioneered fingerprint classification by identifying groups and publishing comparative studies, laying groundwork for future fingerprint analysis.### William Herschel

• European British administrator for the East India Company (1833-1917).

• First European to acknowledge the significance of friction ridge patterns for identification, observing prints in Bengal's Hooghly District in the 1850s.

• Authored the "Hooghly Letter" to the Inspector of Jails in which he claimed to be the first to utilize prints for identification following the Konai Contract (1858); this claim faced rejection due to prior documented uses.

• Employed local friction ridge prints for identification purposes in the 1860s to combat fraud.

• Returned to England in 1879 and conducted research demonstrating the persistence of friction ridge patterns over 20-, 30-, and 54-year intervals.

Henry Faulds

• Scottish doctor and medical missionary (1843-1930).
• First to publish research advocating for friction ridge patterns as identification evidence, through a letter in Nature titled "On the Skin -- Furrows of the Hand" (1880).
• Conducted a year-long study on fingerprinting, examining cultural practices related to prints in East Asia and experimenting with ridge patterns and classification methods.
• Shared his findings with Charles Darwin, which were subsequently passed to cousin Frances Galton.
• Later sources indicate that Robert Blake Overton had used fingerprinting in investigations even before Faulds.

Gilbert Thompson

• American typographer (1839-1909).
• First to utilize fingerprints for identification in the United States in 1882.
• Led a surveying team in New Mexico and employed his thumbprint on monetary transactions to prevent fraud.

Alphonse Bertillon

• Creator of the first systematic method for criminal identification, known as Bertillonage or Anthropometric System (1853-1914).
• Worked as a clerk in the Prefecture of Police and developed criminal measurements based on unique anatomical traits, leading to his first identification on February 20, 1883.
• Bertillon's method mainly relied on specific measurements, including height, reach, head length, and finger size.
• Initially faced resistance but gained recognition after successfully identifying a man with a false claim.
• His methodology lost precedence after Francis Galton's research in 1888 and was ultimately challenged during the Will/William West case (1903) for its flaws.
• Died in 1914, having solved the first latent print crime without a suspect in 1902.

Francis Galton

• British explorer and anthropologist known for his contributions to the study of fingerprints (1822-1911).
• First to identify and name specific fingerprint minutiae, known as Galton's Points.
• Received research from Henry Faulds via Darwin regarding the significance of fingerprints, but initially focused on anthropometry.
• Shifted his attention to fingerprinting after recognizing its superiority over the Bertillonage system, leading to a lecture promoting his findings.
• Published "Fingerprints" in 1892, establishing the uniqueness and consistency of fingerprints, significantly advancing the field toward recognition as a legitimate science.### Henry
• British Commissioner and law enforcement leader in British-ruled India from 1850 to 1931.
• Credited with developing the first official fingerprint classification system, launching the modern era of fingerprinting.
• Worked simultaneously with Juan Vucetich on classification systems due to skepticism about anthropometric accuracy.
• Coordinated with Galton, assigning Azizul Haque and Chandra Bose to address classification issues, leading to successful methodologies.
• Proposed findings to the Indian government, resulting in the replacement of anthropometry in British India in the 1890s after the Belper Committee endorsed his system for its simplicity and reliability.

Azizul Haque

• Indian officer who partnered with Chandra Bose to create a mathematical model for sorting fingerprint cards into pigeonholes based on patterns.
• Instrumental in formulating the Henry Classification system, establishing the world's first Fingerprint Bureau in Calcutta in 1897.

Chandra Bose

• Mathematician who collaborated with Azizul Haque on the mathematical model for organizing fingerprint cards.
• Played a vital role in the development of the Henry Classification system and the creation of the first Fingerprint Bureau in Calcutta in 1897.

Juan Vucetich

• Statistician with the Central Police Department in La Plata, Argentina, active from 1855 to 1925.
• Established the Anthropometric Identification Bureau in Argentina in 1891 and formulated the Vucetich Classification system, widely used in Spanish-speaking countries.
• First to successfully utilize fingerprints for law enforcement, solving a homicide case in Argentina (Rojas Murders, 1892).

Henry DeForest

• American physician and pioneer of systematic fingerprint usage in the US, associated with the NYPD from 1864 to 1948.
• Introduced requirements for civil service applicants to submit fingerprints to prevent forgery, marking a significant move towards adopting fingerprinting in official processes since 1902.

Explore significant historical sites around the globe, including the ancient Aboriginal handprints at Kejimkujik Lake and the stone carvings at L'ille de Gavrinis. This quiz delves into the early representations of human fingerprints and their relevance in history. Test your knowledge of these fascinating archaeological discoveries.