Sacrifying undesireables

           Inversely, scarification has been used to mark those who are deemed unworthy and subhuman. Human branding was among the most popular of techniques that were used to identify such beings. It was originally used to mark property, but as humans became known as property they too were branded. Slaves and criminals were branded throughout Europe and Asia, and even in the United States and was as recent as the founding US Pilgrim fathers.

            Branding has been dated back to the Greeks and Romans, who would brand their slaves to show ownership. The Greeks were known to brand slaves with a Delta. Romans marked runaway slaves with the letter F for fufitivus. They were not alone in their methods. During the period of Trans-Atlantic enslavement, European and other colonial slavers had managed to brand millions of slaves.

            Aside from slaves and property, criminals were also branded. The branding of criminals was a means of punishment. It was popular because it combined physical punishment and public embarrassment, liken to hangings. Romans branded robbers with the letter F, and the same goes for runaway slaves. Despite the situation, the cause behind the branding is usually to reduce the status to concur with one of goods or animals .  It also made it considerably easier for a cop or law defender to recognize former criminals and for possible victims to prepare themselves or escape. If one were to see a man with a brand on his person, it was instantly known that this man was a law offender and therefore, not good company.  Also, if a man was arrested and bore the mark of a previous offense, his sentence would be much more severe considering that this was his second offense. This system did not last, however, as modern science revealed it as cruel and inhumane.