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700 BCE
First Recorded Prints
The Chinese began to record thumbprints on clay sculptures tablets. Though they did not have any formal classification system. -
250 BCE
Lie Detector
Erasistratus, an ancient Greek physician, created the first lie detector test when he made note that when people lied their heart rate sped up. -
44 BCE
Julius Caesar Autopsy
Antistus, a Roman doctor, examined Julius Caesar's body and discovered only one of the 23 stab wounds to be fatal. His findings became the first recorded autopsy. -
1100
Quintilian
Roman attorney Quintilian was able to prove that bloody handprints left at a crime scene were there to frame his blind client of his mothers murder. He became one of the first forensic Scientist. -
1300
Start of Advancements
Beginning in the 1300's advancements started to focus on aspects of fingerprinting and chemical elements such as poisons -
Marcello Malpighi
Malpighi was a professor of anatomy at the University if Bolgna, he made note in his treatise of the ridges, spirals, and loops in fingerprints. Though he did not mention them having any use of them being a potential tool -
Father of Modern Toxicology
1813 Mathieu Bonaventure Orfila, the father of modern toxicology, published “Traite des Poisons”. -
Bullet Comparison
In 1835 is the first documented case of law enforcement (Scotland Yard) comparing bullets to catch their suspect. Henry Goddard noticed a flaw in the bullet and traced it back to the original mold. -
Chief Vollmer
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Period: to
Chief Vollmer
August Volmer became the first police chief of Berkeley California in 1905. In 1907 during the investigation of the Kelinschmidt case, there was great use of scientific investigation when blood, soil, and fibers were analized. 1916 saw the development of the first School of Criminology at University of California, at Berkeley. With this, in 1920 the first lie detector was developed at the University of California for use by the Berkely police department. -
