Identifying suspects

Fingerprints, Footwear – and a hearing impediment to identification

Fingerprints
The ancient Babylonians were probably the first people to use fingerprints for identification; people left their marks on clay tablets detailing business transactions. Fingerprints were also used on important documents in ancient China.

Print of finger on digital background

The idea that an individual’s fingerprints might be unique was first suggested by the German JC Mayer in 1798, however, it wasn’t until two y...