Bednarik continues to publish sites that contain flutings, but current forward research into finger flutings is mainly being carried out by
Kevin J. Sharpe and
Leslie Van Gelder. They have developed the following methods for this purpose. Their cornerstones include multiple examinations of the flutings under investigation, experimentation, and the initial and primarily setting aside of questions of meaning (as such assumptions can determine what investigators then see in the flutings). The physical data in the flutings themselves comprise what they seek: how the fluters constructed their flutings, how the flutings functioned with respect to one other and, if possible, how the flutings functioned for the fluters. Sharpe and Van Gelder use a specific terminology for their studies and call upon three analyses.
Terminology A
fluter makes a fluting by sweeping their fingers across a soft surface; a
unit comprises flutings drawn with one sweep of one hand or finger; the
profile of a unit or a fluter comprises the silhouette of the finger tops left in the medium from the fluting; a
cluster comprises an isolatable group of units that exhibit a unity, for instance because they overlay each other; and a
panel comprises a collection of clusters that appears geographically or otherwise distant from other clusters or on a surface of reasonably uniform orientation.
Internal analysis In terms of the field methodology, having become familiar with a cluster, an Internal Analysis of it is carried out, specially noting the directions of the flutings and their overlays. This provides the differentiation of clusters and units, and the temporal sequence of the flutings. The analysis relates to
Alexander Marshack's question, asked especially for engraved line markings: What do the order, direction of and (especially for engravings) the tools for creation of the lines tell about the mind of the artifact creator when creating? Though Marshack pioneered this technique, it has been modified in its application by others such as Bednarik,
Francesco d'Errico, and Michel Lorblanchet. It forms the backbone of research into line markings such as flutings.
Forensic analysis One of their additions to this methodological base, Sharpe and Van Gelder call a 'Forensic Analysis.' In this, they record where possible whether the left or right hand made the unit under examination, as indicated by the presence of marks that the first or fifth finger – written F1 or F5 – would make. These appear distinctively different from one another and from the marks of the other fingers. They measure the width of the F2-F4 set of marks at their narrowest, calling this the 3-fingered width of the unit. The width data for the three fingers suggest the age category of the fluter, namely whether a young child or older. A Forensic Analysis also examines the profile of a 4- or 5-fingered unit, for frequently units start with the tops of fingers and the investigator needs at least four fingers to tell whether the hand is left or right. Then the investigator records the relative height of F2 to F4 against F3. This would suggest the
gender of the fluter painter. Further, consistency of widths and profiles, and perhaps some other features among units suggest the same person painted them with the finger-fluting technique. ==Results of studies==