Using fingerprints is a way to solve crimes. Did fingerprints solve the case in ancient times?

In ancient times, fingerprints were used to solve crimes. It is said that they were first used in the late Warring States period. At that time, people in yamen used fingerprints to solve crimes. Now, we can see that in costume movies, TV dramas or operas, fingerprints will be printed on some important documents and contracts as one of the important evidences, but in that era, fingerprints can only be compared with handprints, and they are not as widely used as modern ones.

Although there were fingerprints as evidence in ancient times, the fingerprint judgment at that time was only superficial. At that time, although people knew that everyone's fingerprints were different, there was no way to input everyone's fingerprints into the fingerprint database as in modern times. This is very time-consuming and laborious, so even if there are fingerprints at the scene, some cases don't know whose fingerprints are, which has no effect. The fingerprints at that time were only superficial. There is no way to show potential fingerprints. For example, if we touch something, we will leave fingerprints. This kind of fingerprint needs some chemical and physical methods to appear, and some fingerprints are not obvious. In ancient times, there were no instruments to observe them. Only those who are obviously under pressure can be identified.

In ancient times, ordinary people didn't have enough knowledge to write, and ordinary people couldn't carve seals, so they used fingerprints as evidence to prove some important contracts, such as land deeds, house deeds, sales contracts and so on. If there is a fake, the yamen will judge it according to the "texture" of the fingerprint as one of the evidences to judge the case. Among the unearthed cultural relics, we also see the ancient predecessors' judgments on fingerprints.

In China, fingerprints were probably used to solve crimes in the Qin Dynasty. During the Tang and Song Dynasties, fingerprints began to mature. In the Song Dynasty, Song Ci wrote the Record of Injustice, which said that fingerprints were used to solve crimes. At that time, people did not have our modern instruments. They use the most primitive methods to judge the subtle differences of fingerprints, but they can also achieve higher accuracy.