Final answer:
Slave owners branded slaves, typically on areas that were visible when clothed but not necessarily on the face. Branding was a cruel practice to signify ownership and control, and was part of the overall inhumane treatment of slaves during the transatlantic slave trade.
Step-by-step explanation:
Branding of Slaves
Slave owners would brand slaves on different parts of the body, but there is no single uniform practice as this could vary. However, branding was typically done on areas that could be visible when the slaves were clothed, but not necessarily on the face which could decrease a slave's value. Slave traders and slave owners often marked slaves to signify ownership and control.
While branding on the forehead was a method of marking used among the Ibo for signifying status within their own community, in the context of the transatlantic slave trade, it was not a common practice for slave owners to brand the forehead of their slaves, as such a mutilation could affect their market value. Instead, more concealable areas such as the shoulder, back, or arm were more common sites for such brands.
Despite the lack of specificity in historical records concerning the exact locations of brands, it is clear that branding was one of the many inhumane treatments suffered by slaves, intended to dehumanize and control them. This inhumanity was a key aspect of the brutality of the transatlantic slave trade, setting it apart from other forms of slavery and labor systems throughout history.