Ancient Finger Prints in Clay

printing. These moulds of human fingers are of special interest as traces, since in clay they may be preserved through the centuries. A few examples of ancient prints are presented, not only for their intrinsic interest but to provide the setting for discussion of a moot question in finger-print history, as to whether such prints in clay ever were made with an aim comparable to that of present-day identification. Certain principles of identification method must be first introduced. For