Table of Content

15 June 2024, Volume 43 Issue 03

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Invited Article



A discussion on the origin, dichotomous pattern of microblade technology and the environmental drivers

YI Mingjie, CAO Yu

2024, 43(03):  355-366.  doi:10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2024.0038

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During the Upper Paleolithic age, the anatomically modern human survived the extreme climatic conditions including the Heinrich event and the Last Glacial Maximum, and colonized all the continents except Antarctica, which displayed strong adaptability. In Northeast Asia, microblade technology emerged as a pivotal factor in human adaptation to climate and environment during the Upper Paleolithic period. Microblade technology has garnered widespread attention and sparked a considerable amount of discussion and debates. Among the academic research on microblade technology, its origins, technological changes, and regional distribution of different technology types are the most critical issues. The development of microblade technology can be divided into three stages: initial, developed and simple. Diverse interpretations of the concept and essence of microblade technology led to varied perspectives regarding its origins. If pressure flaking is a fundamental element of microblade technology, it may result in the potential omission of early-stage products because practically it is impossible to accurately identify each pressure product. In contrast, the utilization of pressure flaking is a crucial factor in the developed stage of microblade technology. Although the standardizations of microblades of different stages are not the same, their features of microlithization determine that their function and use, possibly in composite tools, are similar. Consequently, to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of microblade technology and its evolutionary trajectory, the research of microblade technology should focus on the form of microcores and microblades, the technology process, the usage of microblades and the analysis of reduction strategies. The microblade technology showed a distinct dichotomous pattern during the last glacial maximum (LGM). While bifacially prepared wedge-shaped cores were prevalent in the “northern area” mainly formed by northeastern China, the Russian Far East and northern Japan, boat-shaped cores dominated North China. After the LGM, the improvement of climatic conditions led to the cultural integration between the two regions, but distinct traditions still existed, i.e., narrow wedge-shaped microcores continued dominating the “northern area” and wide ones remained popular in North China. The origin, development and division of microblade technology show significant correlations with cold events such as H3, H2 and LGM, indicating that climatic and environmental factors played critical roles in the change of adaptive strategies of prehistoric humans. The varying distribution patterns of microblade technology in different regions highlight the influence of local environmental conditions and cultural interactions on technological innovation. The persistence of distinct traditions even after cultural integration underscores the enduring impact of historical and geographical factors on the development and transmission of microblade technology.

Research Articles



Characteristics of human burnt bones from the Balizhuang site of Changle, Shandong Province and the cremation styles reflected by it

LI Yinan, ZHAO Fangchao, ZHOU Yawei

2024, 43(03):  367-379.  doi:10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2024.0033

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The study used the burnt bone materials from the Jin and Yuan Dynasties at the Balizhuang site in Changle, Shandong, and discovered two individuals, M49:2 and M76:3, to analyze the effects of cremation on human remains from both macro and micro observation levels. Methods such as ultra-depth-of-field microscopy observation, analysis of fracture morphology, naked eye observation records, and scanning electron microscopy research are used. Generally, the impact of cremation on human bone remains is reflected at the macro level in changes in bone color, the occurrence of fire bone cracks, heating-induced bone warping, and at the microscopic level in changes in bone crystals and Haversian canals. The results showed that the colors of the two burnt bone individuals were milky white and gray-blue as a whole, and clusters or single bone crystals of different shapes appeared in the bone tissue. It was inferred that M49:2 and M76:3 correspond to cremation temperatures of 800~900°C and 500~600°C respectively. The cremation process will change the chemical properties of bones. Burnt bones are usually more fragile than the unburnt. Burnt bone fractures are prone to occur during the cremation process, so various types of burnt bone fractures appear. In individual M49:2, the right humerus has a bending and curling phenomenon. The phenomenon of curling of burnt bones mainly occurs when the fleshy bones, that is, wet bones, are cremated. This is because the muscles and ligaments contract during the cremation process, thus pulling the bones. The curling of the burnt bones will appear, which reflects that the M49:2 individual should have retained a large amount of muscle and soft tissue when it was cremated. Finally, combined with the tomb background information of the site and the historical records of cremation phenomena in the Jin and Yuan Dynasties, possible speculations on the nature of the cremation experienced by the two individuals from many aspects are made, including whether the burnt bones were caused by the fire before death, whether the cremation is affected by the personal wishes of the deceased, and whether the two cases of burnt bones may correspond to certain customs recorded in the Jin and Yuan Dynasties. At the same time, the impact of the burial environment on bones should not be ignored. Researchers also need to pay attention to the skeletal differences between individuals. The impact of cremation on the human skeletal remains of various individuals is still different. In summary, the research value can be better demonstrated by closely integrating the cremated remains with the archaeological background.



Human subsistence strategy of the Jiangxi’an site in Chongzuo, Guangxi

WU Yan, XIE Guangmao, ZHAO Keliang, MENG Zhangwang, CHEN Guanhan, WANG Jingyi, LIN Qiang

2024, 43(03):  380-391.  doi:10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2024.0035

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Extreme climate events and the transformation of early human economic patterns have been a hot topic in the field of global change. However, there is a lack of research on the impact of 9200 BP climate events on prehistoric human behavior. Guangxi is one of the important regions in the Pearl River basin. It has a unique geographical landscape pattern and unique vegetation and climate background. It is not only a key area for prehistoric migration and cultural exchange, but also an ideal refuge for dealing with climate change and events. It is a rare experimental field for studying human survival patterns and environmental adaptation. Due to factors such as humid and hot climate and acidic soil in Guangxi region, the preservation of organic matter remains is poor. And the morphological characteristics of phytoliths are significant, with important characteristics such as corrosion resistance and easy preservation. Phytolith analysis has become an important and effective research method for obtaining plant relic information in acidic soil environments in southern China. In addition, pollen analysis can provide important information for reconstructing the environmental background of archaeological sites and has an irreplaceable role. In this paper, based on AMS ¹⁴C chronology, phytolith and pollen records, we analyzed the climatic background and economic model of the Neolithic culture at Jiangxi’an site of Chongzuo, Guangxi. Our results show that the Neolithic age of Jiangxi’an site in Guangxi is 9300-9100 BP, and the surrounding environment of the site showed an obvious trend of cooling and drying during the 9200 BP climate event. At that stage of time, plant resources available to humans were reduced, while a large number of snail and mussel shells, and the remains of aquatic animals and mammals such as buffalo, rhinoceros and elephants were found. Rich fishing and hunting tools were found in the strata as well. These results suggested that during the cold and dry period of 9200 BP fishing and hunting might be a better choice for human beings resided on Jiangxi’an site in Guangxi, based on the decrease in the number of collected plant remains. This ecological environment may have prompted foragers to change their adaptation models, reduce their dependence on collection and hunting, and shift towards fishing and hunting. The changes in survival strategies of the early Neolithic population may be closely related to environmental adaptation and changes in activity range. This study provides new ideas and clues for a deeper understanding of the interaction between important climate events in the early Holocene of the Asian monsoon region and cultural development in the Neolithic period.



Stone artifacts, age and environment of the Sanhe Cave locality in Weishan, Yunnan

CHENG Nan, XIA Wenting, YANG Qing, JI Xueping, ZI Xing, FAN Bin, ZOU Zining, YU Tong, ZHANG Yu, SHI Lin, ZHANG Wuqi, ZHENG Hongbo

2024, 43(03):  392-404.  doi:10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2024.0014

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The distinctive geographical and climatic attributes of Yunnan create advantageous natural circumstances for the evolution and advancement of prehistoric human populations.The investigation of paleoenvironmental conditions at the Sanhedong Locality, situated in the southern region of the Yunling Hengduan Mountain Range in Weishan, Yunnan Province, aims to examine the correlation between alterations in the environment and human behavior.The test excavations conducted in the Sanhedong Locality revealed a significant presence of animal bones within the stratigraphic layers. Furthermore, it was observed that the quantity of animal bones exhibited a progressive rise from earlier to later periods; AMS ¹⁴C results indicate that the Locality belongs to the Upper Paleolithic; The findings from the analysis of pollen indicate that during the early stage of Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS 3) in the examined region, coniferous forests were the prevailing vegetation type, characterized by a notable presence of hemlock. Additionally, fern species such as Polypodiaceae and Pteris were observed in the understory. In the later stage, coniferous forests continued to dominate, but there was an increase in the abundance of understory herbs. The prevailing climate during this period was characterized by mildness and humidity. The lithic study reveals that a combined total of 15 stone artifacts, recovered from both the test trench and the ground surface, have similarities with the core-flake industry. This industry is closely associated with the gravel stone tradition observed during the Upper Paleolithic period in South China. According to the exhaustive research, the climate during MIS 3 was mild and humid, and the number of ancient human activities in the Sanhedong Locality gradually rose over time. In addition, the ancient people who lived in the Sanhedong Locality relied heavily on the meat and other products of animals as a primary source of food, whereas there was an interruption in human activity during the cold phase of MIS 2, demonstrating that the alteration of the ecological environment that was brought on by the variability in climate during the last glacial epoch had a significant impact on the activities of ancient humans. The finding of the Sanhedong Locality and the subsequent exhaustive study of it can give an essential reference for the investigation of the environmental adaption tactics utilized by ancient people in the Southwest China region during the Upper Paleolithic period.



C and N stable isotopes of human remains from the Xiazhai site of Xichuan, Henan Province

ZHOU Ligang, CAO Yanpeng, CHU Xiaolong, SUN Lei

2024, 43(03):  405-414.  doi:10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2023.0064

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Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of human remains from the Xiazhai site revealed dietary features of pre-history populations dated to different periods. The Late-Yangshao individuals (δ¹³C=-10.2±1.4‰, δ¹⁵N=9.4±0.5‰, n=19) ate a millet-based diet similar to that of the contemporary people on the Central Plains. On the same site, the Shijiahe people (δ¹³C=-13.6±2.1‰, δ¹⁵N=9.5±0.9‰, n=28) ate both millet and rice, and their dietary features displayed evident variation because of the different nitrogen isotopic features between rice and dry crops. Millet played the role of main staple food again during the Late-Longshan and Erlitou period (mean δ¹³C=-9.9±1.2‰, n=21). These results indicate that cultural transition had significantly affected the local agricultural system and human diet. The changing roles of millet and rice also reflect the alternating influences from the Yellow River culture and the Yangtze River culture.



Non-metric traits of the human femoral head-neck junction

CHENG Zhihan, CHONG Jianrong, SUN Zhanwei, YANG Lei, JING Xiaoting, WANG Jihong, HE Jianing

2024, 43(03):  415-426.  doi:10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2024.0034

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Various anatomical variations often occur on the anterior aspect of the femoral neck, and some features have been the subject of much research because of their possible relevance to ancient human behavior, such as Poirier’s facet. However, the definition of these non-metric traits and the reasons for their occurrence are controversial. In this paper, we combine the previous studies and practical observation experience to sort out the observation standards for the three common non-metric traits on the anterior femoral head-neck junction, namely, Poirier’s facet, plaque and Allen’s fossa. This paper observed eight groups of femur samples from archaeological sites in northern China dating from the Neolithic Age to the Ming-Qing period, and after statistics on the occurrence rate of each feature, we found that all three features showed significant gender, age, and population differences. Poirier’s facet and plaques were commonly found in males and occurred more frequently in middle-aged and older adults, and Allen’s fossa was more common in females and more prevalent in young adults. Combined with the anatomy of the hip joint and the daily activities of ancient populations, the presence of the Poirier’s facet and plaque may be associated with hip joint activity. Hip extension and external rotation increase the pressure on the iliofemoral ligament and compress the femoral head at the neck. With hip extension, external rotation and flexion, the femoral neck comes into contact with the acetabular rim, creating a pressure area. Femoroacetabular impingement is another possible factor that contributes to the appearance of Poirier’s facet and plaques. The formation of these two traits does not correlate well with behaviors such as riding horse and squatting. Allen’s fossa is different from both the morphological characteristics and the location of appearance of the Poirier’s facet and plaques, with Allen’s fossa appearing as early as childhood, possibly as a result of higher levels of stress in the individual’s survival, but more validation is needed from a sample of children. Taken together with the history of the research of Poirier facet and the reasons for its formation, the original translation of Poirier’s facet is not appropriate any longer. The significant differences in the performance of non-metric traits at the anterior aspects of the femoral head-neck junction between different populations suggest that there is potential for reconstructing activity patterns, health conditions and lifestyles of ancient people.



Using fingerprint characteristics of a person’s thumb and forefinger to analyze his gender and age

ZHAO Ruimin, LIU Kai, SUN Peng, ZHANG Zhongliang

2024, 43(03):  427-439.  doi:10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2023.0043

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The analysis of gender and age by using fingerprint characteristics has been a persistent challenge in the fields of forensic medicine and anthropology. Relevant studies have many shortcomings and deficiencies that need to be improved. For example, the number of fingerprint samples is insufficient, the utilization rate of fingerprint characteristics is low, and the learning ability of the model used is low, all of which will lead to the decline of the accuracy of using fingerprint characteristics to analyze individual gender and age. To address these limitations, this study adopts a multi-classification approach and performs a comparative analysis of regression machine learning models. A comprehensive analysis was conducted on a dataset comprising 2980 thumb and forefinger fingerprint samples, consisting of 1500 male and 1480 female individuals. Statistical measurements were performed on the fingerprint characteristics of the dataset, and the accuracy of gender classification and age regression for each machine learning model was observed. The models were tested by combining different fingerprint characteristics from the thumb and forefinger. The findings reveal that utilizing both thumb and forefinger fingerprint characteristics significantly improves the accuracy of gender classification and age regression compared to using single finger fingerprint characteristics. Notably, the highest F₁ score achieved for gender classification using fingerprint characteristics was 0.979, indicating a remarkably high accuracy level. For male fingerprint samples, the highest accuracy in age regression reached 86.7%, while for female fingerprint samples, it yielded a highest accuracy of 85.3%. These outcomes validate the efficacy of comprehensive learning with thumb and forefinger fingerprint characteristics in enhancing gender classification and age regression accuracy. The results of this study contribute significant insights to the application of fingerprint characteristics in determining gender and age. By addressing the limitations of previous research and emphasizing the importance of multi-classification and comparative analysis, it demonstrates the potential for achieving higher accuracy in gender and age analysis through the integration of thumb and forefinger fingerprint characteristics. These findings hold profound implications for the fields of forensic medicine and anthropology, offering valuable support for future research and practical applications in fingerprint feature analysis. With continued advancements in technology and further research, it is anticipated that the application of fingerprint characteristics in gender and age analysis will continue to evolve and improve. The comprehensive understanding derived from this study serves as a foundation for future investigations, encouraging the exploration of enhanced methodologies and refining the accuracy and reliability of gender and age analysis through fingerprint characteristics.

Excavation/Investigation Reports



A preliminary report of the 2021 excavation at the Taiziling locality in Jizhou County, Tianjin City

WANG Jiaqi, ZHANG Xuewei, WANG Chunxue, SHENG Lishuang

2024, 43(03):  440-447.  doi:10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2024.0025

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The Taiziling locality (TZL), buried in the second terrace near the Prince Mausoleum of the Qing Dynasty is located in the Sungezhuang village, Jizhou County,Tianjin City, which was discovered in 2005 and excavated in October 2021, covering an area of 50 m². In this excavation, over 100 artifacts were unearthed. The lithic assemblage includes cores, flakes, chunks, debris and tools, with the representative tool being scrapers, which is widely found in the remains of Palaeolithic sites in northern China. Five kinds of raw materials are identified in the lithic artifacts, which can be arranged according to their proportion as quartzite, quartz, flint, crystal and andesite. A large number of quartzite can be easily obtained from Huanghua Mountain, which is about 200 meters to the north of the locality, with highest proportion in the raw materials for stone artifacts, showing that ancient humans who lived in TZL locality at that time adapted measures to local conditions and materials when making tools. The blanks of stone tools are mostly flakes, and individually blocks. The tools are modified mostly from dorsal surface, with the modified parts being concentrated on the side edges. As shown by the characteristics of the cores and flakes from TZL locality, two distinct technological assemblages are identified. One is flake technology, which is the local and dominant technological assemblage in North China, characterized by free-hand core reduction without preparation and simple tool modification. The other is microblade technology, which is represented by microblade cores with working surfaces for the production of micro-blade. Although only one microblade core was found at the locality, it was so highly utilized that it was nearing the abandonment stage, which reflects the fact that flint was very valuable to ancient humans. Judging from the stratigraphy and the assemblage of stone artifacts, the TZL locality belongs to the Middle and Upper Paleolithic. In addition, a stone tool with polished marks which unearthed in the 6th culture layer, provides an extremely important clue for the study of same type of stone tools in East Asia, showing the close connection between northern China and Eurasia during that period. The TZL locality owns high value in the study of lithic technology in the Late Pleistocene of North China as well as the cultural relationship between northern and northeastern China during the period.



2022 survey report of Paleolithic sites in the Binchuan Basin in Yunnan

XIAO Peiyuan, RUAN Qijun, GAO Yu, JIA Zhenxiu, ZHANG Ming, YANG Lijing, LIU Jianhui, LI Sanling, LI Hao

2024, 43(03):  448-457.  doi:10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2023.0066

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From September to October 2022, a Paleolithic survey was carried out in the Binchuan County, Dali Prefecture, Yunnan Province. In total, 33 Paleolithic sites have been discovered during the survey, along with 417 stone artifacts being collected. All sites are located at front edges of the third terraces of Sangyuan River and Liandong River. The types of stone artifacts include flakes, cores, tools and chunks, quartz syenite porphyry was the primary raw material exploited. Resharpening flakes have been identified as a special type in flakes. Scrapers with steep angles and multi-layered scars on the edge are unique, indicating similar retouching features with Quina technology in the European Middle Paleolithic stage. Although the original stratigraphic context for stone artifacts studied in this paper was missing, based on the geomorphological, stratigraphic and technological comparisons with the nearby dated sites of Tianhuadong Cave and Longtan in Heqing County, we suggest that the age of Paleolithic sites found in the Binchuan Basin can be placed into early and middle Late Pleistocene, and the cultural stage belongs to the Middle Paleolithic. The finding of Quina-type stone artifacts in the Binchuan Basin shed important lights for understanding the emergence, development and distributional patterns of such a technology in China. And furthermore, it is significant to refresh our knowledge of the diversity and complexity of lithic technologies in the Chinese Middle Paleolithic.



Body composition of the three major dialect groups of the Va ethnic group in Yunnan

GAO Xinying, YU Keli, ZHANG Xinghua, YAO Yuetong, XIAO Yao, CHENG Zhi, GAO Wenfang, LIU Xin, BAO Jinping

2024, 43(03):  458-469.  doi:10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2024.0001

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In order to understand the characteristics and differences of body composition among the three dialect branches of the Va ethnic group, 18 body composition indexes, including mass and percent body fat, were measured in 564 of A Va, 927 of Baraoke Va and 505 of Va Va by bioelectrical impedance analysis, BIA. The results were as follows: 1) The visceral fat level of the three dialect groups was positively correlated with age. Mass, total body muscle mass, estimated bone mass, total energy metabolism and trunk muscle mass were negatively correlated with age. 2) Most of the adults of the three dialect groups had the highest fat percentage of lower limbs, followed by the trunk, and upper limbs was the lowest. The trunk muscle mass is the highest, followed by the lower limbs, the upper limb muscle mass is the least. 3) The differences of fat characteristics among the three dialect groups were more obvious, and the fat percentage and visceral fat level of the Va Va group were higher, and fat was more abundant. Compared with males, the muscle mass and bone mass of females in the three dialect groups were significantly different, mainly showing that the total body muscle mass, upper limb and trunk muscle mass and estimated bone mass of females in the A Va group were the largest.

Reviews



On the beginning of the Japanese Upper Paleolithic: A review of recent archaeological and anthropological evidence

Hiroyuki SATO, Kazuki MORISAKI

2024, 43(03):  470-487.  doi:10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2022.0043

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The beginning of the Japanese Upper Paleolithic has mainly been examined using two major models: the Middle Paleolithic evolutionary model within the archipelago and the continental Upper Paleolithic diffusion/migration model. However, recent archeological data from Japan and nearby countries are challenging such simple models. This paper critically reviews previous chronology of the Japanese Paleolithic, including possible Lower and Middle Paleolithic (LP/MP), and attempts to show an alternative model of the beginning of the Japanese Upper Paleolithic. This paper suggests several possible specimens of LP/MP and recommends further geoarchaeological investigation to understand the reliability and cultural relationship between possible LP/MP specimens and the Early Upper Paleolithic (EUP). The start of the Japanese EUP is presently characterized by a flake industry with trapezoids and denticulates around 39-37 kaBP cal on Paleo-Honshu Island, which has partial resemblance with contemporary assemblages in China and the Korean Peninsula, although trapezoids are endemic only to the Japanese EUP and may have derived from the ancestral lithic tradition. Blade technology appeared earliest on Central Paleo-Honshu Island, about 1000 years later than the earliest flake technology. Although blade technology may have originated from the elongated flake technology of the previous period, the sudden simultaneous emergence implies that it diffused from the Korean Peninsula. This paper proposes that blade technology from the Korean Peninsula arrived on the northeastern Paleo-Honshu Island, including the Japan Sea coastal region of western Honshu, rather than the southwest, where flake technology long prospered, due to differences in ecological settings and adaptation strategies between the two regions.



Morphology and influencing factors of Chinese foot binding bones

LI Haijun, YANG Xiaoyu, XIAO Xiaoyong

2024, 43(03):  488-501.  doi:10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2024.0027

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Foot is an important organ that supports human movement and its shape is influenced by factors such as age, gender, movement patterns, and some specific cultural practices. Foot-binding, as a kind of artificial foot deformation behavior unique to the ancient feudal society of China, has continued for a long time in the history of China, reflecting the social life and status of women in ancient times. Studies of variation in foot morphology due to foot-binding mainly include the followings below: Skeletal variation in foot-binding, changing times, geographical differences and pathological phenomena caused by foot-binding, and the influence of age, duration, and sociocultural factors on skeletal morphological variation in foot-binding.

Foot-binding has caused great harm to women's physical and mental health, but as a historical and social phenomenon, it reflects the cultural, aesthetic and ethical concepts as well as changes in the status of women in ancient Chinese society. In the field of medicine, analysing the pathologies caused by footbinding can improve the study of bone and joint disorders of the foot and reveal the impact of footbinding on women’s health and quality of life. In the field of history, the study of footbinding is conducive to restoring the history of women’s footbinding and women’s life in ancient China, which can further reveal the picture of the life of the whole ancient society. In the field of archaeology, knowledge of the morphological characteristics of entangled foot bones facilitates the study of skeletal and gender archaeology

Overall, this article provides a brief overview of foot-binding research and the measurement of relevant parameters of the foot skeleton by reviewing and summing up data and findings from the relevant literature. And it also provides a brief review and outlook on domestic foot-binding research.



Progresses and perspectives on ancient denture restoration technology

WANG Shu, WANG Chunxue, ZHOU Yawei, BAN Lin, DONG Han

2024, 43(03):  502-517.  doi:10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2023.0069

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The emergence and development of ancient denture restoration technology is of great significance in the history of human stomatology. However, the reports of ancient denture restoration cases in China depend on the lack of historical records, and related physical research is very rare. In comparison, the cases published abroad have the characteristics of a long cycle, wide range, large quantity, complete information and so on. Considering that no domestic scholars have made a comprehensive discussion on the cases of ancient denture restoration in the world, the purpose of this paper is to review the published cases regionally. In this paper, the manufacturing purpose of related prosthetic appliances, the shape and raw materials of crowns or implants, the materials and structures of supporting appliances, related research results and disputes are expounded. Combining the historical background of various ethnic groups around the Mediterranean and related literature, the origin and possible transmission routes of prosthetic technologies between regions are clarified. The similarities and differences of prosthetic appliances among different groups are compared from the perspective of specific structures and prosthetic skills, and the internal evolution law of ancient denture restoration technology in the Mediterranean region and the comparison between ancient and modern evolution are discussed.



Current status and prospects of the research on finger crease features

ZENG Haoran, LIU Kangkang, LUO Yaping

2024, 43(03):  518-528.  doi:10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2024.0010

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The fingerprint is the main morphological area on the finger, which plays an important role in daily life. The fingerprint crease is an obvious feature of non-cutaneous ridge configuration and flexor fold in dermatology. It’s also called fingerprint white lines by many scholars because of the white stripes that can interrupt the normal friction ridge in different directions in the fingerprinting. Due to the obvious morphological and structural characteristics of finger crease features, which are common in modern people, and their formation and performance are related to skin diseases, ethnic populations, individual differences and other factors, finger crease features have gradually entered the field of vision of researchers at home and abroad in the field of anthropology, medicine, forensic science and computer image recognition. Current research on finger crease features includes the following aspects：1) to explore the influencing factors of finger crease features, such as pressure, age, season, ethnicity, etc; 2) to explore the correlation between finger crease features and skin diseases and mental diseases; 3) to explore the identification value of finger crease features in the field of forensic science and to dig the personal information carried by them; 4) Explore the algorithm for automatic recognition and extraction of finger crease features. At the same time, the following prospects are put forward for the study of finger crease features: 1) Develop the standardized measurement methods and evaluation criteria for finger crease features, explore the identification value of finger crease features by using the likelihood ratio theory, and discuss which fingerprint characteristic level finger crease features should belong to; 2) OCT technology was used to explore the expression of finger crease features in the dermis and epidermis, and to explore the formation mechanism of finger crease features; 3) Yolov5 target recognition technology was used to realize automatic recognition and extraction of finger crease features. As a result, a comprehensive and in-depth analysis and introduction were conducted to sort out the primary attributes and the current status of finger crease features’ research home and abroad. In the end, we also give a personal perspective on the future direction and the remaining challenges in the finger crease features related field. New exciting progress is expected in the development of related field with continued interest and attention to the finger crease features.