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Period: 700 BCE to 44
Forensic Science Grows
Forensic science continued to evolve. In 700 B.C., the Chinese began to record thumb prints on clay sculpture and documents even though they had no formal classification system in place. In 250 B.C., an ancient Greek physician, created the first lie detector test when he noted that his patients pulse rate appeared to increase when they lied. In 44 B.C., a Roman doctor examined Julius Caesar's body and discovered that of his 23 stab wounds, only one of them was fatal. -
800
Pre- Historic
Evidence suggests that the investigation of crimes occurred as far back as prehistoric times when early man took fingerprints by pressing hands and fingers into clay or rock. Archaeologists uncovered an ancient drawing of the detailed ridge patterns of a hand. Additionally, the ancient Babylonians also made use of fingerprinting on clay tablets for business transactions and as a means to preserve identification for other official needs. -
Period: 1100 to 1200
Bloody Evidence
By 1100 A.D., crime scene investigation had improved to such a degree that Roman attorney Quintilian proved that blood covered palm prints were left at a crime scene to frame a blind man for the murder of his mother. Nearly 150 years later, in 1248 AD, the first documentation of medical knowledge aimed at solving crimes was recorded in the book "Hsi Duan Yu". -
Period: 1300 to
Study of Poisons
Over the next 500 years, advancements in crime scene investigation focused on the many aspects of fingerprint detail and chemical elements like poisons. In 1813, Mathieu Bonaventure Orfila, published "Traite des Poisons," and in the mid-1800s, investigators at Scotland Yard began to conduct bullet comparisons. Following these advancements, investigators developed a successful tissue tests that identified arsenic as a means of murder. -
Period: to
New Machinery
During the late 1800s and early 1900s, forensic science expanded to include technologies like body temperature to determine time of death and the use of fingerprinting for identification. The portable polygraph machine appeared in 1921, followed by tests to detect gunshot residue in 1933. Other critical discoveries of this time include voice print identification technologies, development of an acid phosphate test for semen detection and early DNA analysis. -
Period: to
Modern Day
Modern crime scene investigation advanced rapidly through the late 1900s and the early 2000s. Using the solid foundation developed over thousands of years of forensic investigation, modern forensics built upon these technologies and expanded their application to include computer forensics, DNA forensics, insect forensics and biological studies. Crime scene investigation continues to experience rapid technological advancements.