Looking Into Fingerprinting's Ancient Past
Nowadays, fingerprints and fingerprinting is a common form of identification; we have to be fingerprinted for various official purposes and many companies use fingerprint scanners to identify, verify, and authorize personnel access. But how was fingerprinting used in the distant past? Let us find out.Pottery found in the ancient civilizations of Babylon, China, Egypt, Greece, Minoa, and Rome have had fingerprints found on them. Fingerprints have also been found on bricks and tiles. In certain cases, prints were deeply embedded into the clay as a sort of maker's mark. Ancient Babylon used fingerprints in conjunction with written signatures on contracts. Around 246 BCE, Chinese officials would impress their fingerprints onto seals for official documents, much like signet rings were used to seal wax-sealed letters. When paper became prevalent in China, they would impress their hand print onto documents alongside their signatures.
In law enforcement, the first time fingerprints were used as evidence was as in China around 300 CE; it was used to identify a thief. Over 300 years later in 650, Chinese historian Kia Kung-Yen would proclaim the usefulness of fingerprints as a means of identifying individuals. Persian physician Rashid-al-Din Hamadani would reiterate this point when he said "Experience shows that no two individuals have fingers exactly alike."
by FingerTec USA
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