Fingerprints on the Frontier: Decoding Han Dynasty Border Artisan Identity Through Ceramic Tiles

ABSTRACT Fingerprints preserved on archaeological artifacts provide valuable insights into the characteristics of ancient populations. Research in this area has been limited, however, due to the scarcity and poor preservation of fingerprint impressions. In this study, we employed advanced archaeological science techniques to recover two fingerprint phenotypes from 2000‐year‐old ceramic tile remains unearthed at the Shichengzi site in Xinjiang, China. By comparing Mean Ridge Breadth (MRB) and Mean Ridge Density (MRD) values from all 10 fingers of modern individuals across three Chinese populations, our results indicate that the impressions were most likely left by males sharing some biological affinity to modern residents in Xinjiang. Moreover, the two fingerprints exhibit distinct anatomical patterns, suggesting that the construction of this Han Dynasty frontier fortress likely involved the participation of local male inhabitants.