History of Fingerprints
Ancient history - Earlier use of fingerprints are credited to the Chinese, who are successfully applying these prints. Record dated to 7000 BC from Jericho in the west bank of Palestinian territories having thumb prints of ancient bricklayers were found.
1) Earthenware estimated to be 6000 years old having friction ridges impressions on them discovered in northwest china.
2) Fingerprints on clay tablets was found in Mesopotamia and it was used to confirm business transactions around 3000 BC. Fingerprints 3000 years old were found in king Tu tan khamun tomb in Egypt. Megalithic artworks were found in tombs of France and on the coast of Ireland.
3) we have found neolithic period ancient materials which has friction ridges being left by builders of that time.
4) Picture writing of a hand with ridge patterns was discovered in Nova Scotia. For business transactions fingerprints used in Babylon on clay tablets.
5) Chinese records from the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) include details about using hand prints as evidence during burglary investigations.
Friction ridge impressions on clay seals were used during the Qin and Han Dynasties (221 BC - 220 AD).
6) In 14th century Persian book "Jaamehol-Tawarikh" (Universal History), attributed to Khajeh Rashiduddin Fazlollah Hamadani (1247-1318), includes comments about the practice of identifying persons from their fingerprints. During 8th century AD,Japan used fingerprints on documents under the law.
7) Dr. Nehemiah Grew - Fellow of the college of physicians and surgeons of the royal society , England in 1684 wrote a paper on his observations of patterns of the fingers and palm , the arrangements of sweat pores and epidermal ridges. He referred them as little fountains.The first European to publish friction ridge skin observations was Nehemiah Grew.
7) Dr. Nehemiah Grew - Fellow of the college of physicians and surgeons of the royal society , England in 1684 wrote a paper on his observations of patterns of the fingers and palm , the arrangements of sweat pores and epidermal ridges. He referred them as little fountains.The first European to publish friction ridge skin observations was Nehemiah Grew.
8) Marcello Malpighi the famous Italian anatomist at the university of bologna in 1686 carried out research work on fingerprints. A layer of human skin is named after him.
9) Thomas Bewick , English engraver author, naturalist and an observer of fingerprints. Bewick is also known for using his own fingerprint as a form of signature in his on
publication to show individuality. Some believe that Bewick is among the first to establish the uniqueness of human fingerprint. His caption on one of his carvings- "Thomas Bewick- His Mark".
10) The work of professor J E Purkinje (Johannes Evangelist Purkinje), a professor of physiology at the university of breslan , Germany, is a more important landmark in history of fingerprints. He presented a thesis in 1823 in which he classified systematically the varieties of patterns of fingers in to nine principle configurations of the RUGAE & SULCI.
11) German anthropologist Hermann Welcker of the University of Halle, studied friction ridge skin permanence by printing his own right hand in 1856 and again in 1897, then published a study in 1898.
12) Sir William Herschel , a British civil servant while posted as collector of hooghly (India) interested in fingerprints and utilised the same as a means of identifying one individual from another. In 1858 , he first recorded the palm print of a contractor on the contract . Contractor named was Rajyadhar Konai. He was the first man to realize the persistency of fingerprints throughout the life.
13) Dr. Henry Faulds , a Scottish Physician while working in Tsukiji hospital in Tokyo,Japan noticed some finger prints marks on some Japanese pottery, which he compared with finger impression of people. In 1880 he wrote an article in the journal "NATURE" about his experiments showing methods of taking fingerprints with printer's ink. He suggested that finger prints (chance prints) found at the scene of crime connecting crime and criminal.
14) Sir Francis Galton (1822-1911) . In his first textbook, he discussed the anatomy of finger patterns and offered practical methods for recording them. He derived his classification system known as A,L,W, method for recording finger impressions of criminals. "Finger Print " was his first book published in 1892. He defined the individuality or uniqueness and permanence of fingerprints with the help of materials gathered by William Herschel .In fingerprints minutiae was identified by him which referred as Galton details or ridges characteristic .
15) Sir Edward Richard Henry - As the IGP, Lower Bengal, he set out to solve the problem of finger print classification. "classification and uses of finger prints" was published by him. The "Henry" system, with modifications, is still used by different countries. He was assisted by two Indian named Azizul Haque and Hem Chander Bose,who played leading roles in formulating the classification of Fingerprints.
15) Sir Edward Richard Henry - As the IGP, Lower Bengal, he set out to solve the problem of finger print classification. "classification and uses of finger prints" was published by him. The "Henry" system, with modifications, is still used by different countries. He was assisted by two Indian named Azizul Haque and Hem Chander Bose,who played leading roles in formulating the classification of Fingerprints.
16) Juan Vucetich - a noted Argentine criminologist, he began the first filling of fingerprints based on the idea of Francis Galton which he expended. In 1892 he made the first positive identification of a criminal in a case where Francisca Rojas had killed her two sons. Bloody print found at the crime scene identified her as the killer.
History of fingerprints and their use by man is a very old practice.
MR. DEEPAK PAWAR has been working as Finger Print Expert / Police Officer in Finger Print Bureau , Delhi Police at New Delhi since 2001 . He is the senior most Finger Print Expert , attending / visited several scene of crime and solved many crime cases .He has passed M.Sc (Chemistry) and he is the Member of International Association of Identification . He is the Member of Delhi Police welfare association . He is supervising the Forensic , New Delhi District , Mobile Crime Team . He is one of the Expert in the Special Investigation Team held for investigation of important cases . He has been giving fingerprint proficient training to Delhi Police personnel's . He has been Presented / giving lectures on topics related to forensic science . He is also making examination paper of Finger Print proficient course . He is awarded with Police Medal by MHA and Delhi Police.