Abstract
<jats:p>This article is devoted to researching the history of the emergence and development of one of the branches of traceology–a field of forensic science–fingerprinting. This branch of forensic science is becoming increasingly important and practical in the current stage of development of forensic science. This is based on the belief that fingerprinting remains a key tool of forensic science, especially in cases involving the identification of unidentified bodies and suspects involved in criminal offenses. In order to gain a deeper understanding of the essence of this method and its significance in criminalistics, the article traces the main stages in the development of fingerprinting–from the first attempts to use fingerprints to establish a person’s identity to its formation as an independent, systematic method of identification. It has been proven that researching the history of fingerprinting is not only scientifically interesting, but also extremely relevant in the field of criminalistics. In Ukraine, such work has been rare, while in many other countries there are a significant number of scientific works on this subject. Therefore, research on this issue is of scientific and practical importance not only for forensic experts, students of law schools, and other specialists in the field of law. The article discusses the contributions of prominent scientists, including Marcello Malpighi, who first scientifically described papillary patterns, James Herschel, who pioneered the use of fingerprints in legal agreements, and Vuchetich and Francis Galton, who significantly influenced the classification systems of papillary patterns. The development and application of identification methods, the formation of classification systems, and the introduction of dactyloscopy into the activities of law enforcement agencies in various countries are analyzed. Attention is paid to the establishment of national fingerprinting systems, the organization of fingerprinting bureaus, and the creation of the first automated fingerprint identification systems (AFIS), which ensured high efficiency, accuracy, and speed of identification. Historical examples of the use of fingerprints in different cultures and legal systems are considered, starting from Ancient Babylon and Egypt, where fingerprints served as signatures on clay tablets, to modern European and global practices. The article emphasizes the practical importance of fingerprinting for solving criminal offenses, identifying individuals, establishing facts of involvement in offenses, and ensuring the objectivity of evidence in criminal proceedings. It also notes that fingerprinting as a branch of forensic science is constantly improving under the influence of scientific and technological progress, automated data processing, and the creation of modern databases, making it an indispensable tool in criminal investigation and judicial practice. Keywords: automated identification systems, fingerprints, identification, forensics, trace evidence.</jats:p>