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Period: 700 BCE to 44 BCE
The Beginning of Crime Scene Investigations
Chinese began to record thumb prints on clay sculpture and documents despite having no formal classification system was in place. In 250 B.C., an ancient Greek physician, Erasistratus, 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 was fatal. -
Period: 1100 to 1200
Improving the Crime Scene Technology
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". It detailed the process of distinguishing drowning from strangulation. -
Period: 1300 to
Advancing The CSI technology
Over the next 500 years, advancements in CSI focused on the many aspects of fingerprint detail and chemical elements. In 1813, the father of modern toxicology, published "Traite des Poisons," and in the mid-1800s, investigators at Scotland Yard began to conduct bullet comparisons. Following these advancements, investigators developed successful tissue tests that identified arsenic as a means of murder. -
Period: to
Expanding the Technology of A Crime Scene
During the late 1800s and early 1900s, forensic science expanded to include technologies like body temperature to determine time of death and the systematic 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 voiceprint identification technologies, development of an acid phosphatase test for semen detection and early DNA analysis. -
Todays Crime Scene Investigations
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, entomological (insect) forensics and enhanced biological studies. Crime scene investigation continues to experience rapid technological advancements.