Fingerprints fascinate and delight us at Smallprint. We marvel at the uniqueness of each one, telling a very personal life story and spelling out the very DNA of a loved one. It's incredible knowing something this complex is formed at 10-15 weeks when in the womb, and although the pattern is influenced by parental genes, the uniqueness comes from movement around the womb, density of amniotic fluid and the pregnant person's blood pressure. Even identical twins have different fingerprints! The patterns present in 3 different types: whorls (the most common), loops, and arches which only account for 5% of people.
The study of fingerprints is known as dermatoglyphics, and comes from ancient greek words. If ancient people happened to leave their fingerprints on the right kind of surface we can still see this evidence today.
In this article about fingerprints being found on ancient pottery in pre historic times archaeologists have been able to estimate the age of the people, and even know their genders. Knowing such facts really does give us an intimate and unparalleled glimpse into life 5,000 years ago, and although this insight answers some questions it also raises more. What was life like back then? Who were the pot makers of these times? History really does come to life when we have physical evidence of the past.
So to the present and the future. We love how those who are special to us can be captured in this incredible way and we can carry them close with us. Making our own history and preserving our own very special memories.
Remembering cherished much longed-for pregnancies is of course, personal, but in sharing we might help ourselves and also others who may not yet have experienced loss.
