duties of each member of society. Slavery involved many such
customs as well as laws. Children without parents almost al-
ways became slaves. People convicted of crimes could become
slaves of the people they had victimized. It is possible that
people could voluntarily become slaves, perhaps because of
burdensome debts or the loss of place in a community. For
instance, tradespersons who lost the ability to practice their
craft would no longer have a niche to fi ll in Mayan society.
Th ere is disagreement among archaeologists about how
slaves who were not prisoners of war were regarded and
treated. Th ese disagreements may stem from variations in
Maya culture over hundreds of years. One view is that these
slaves were cruelly abused and counted as nothing in Mayan
society. Th ey were worked to death, tormented, and sacri-
fi ced. Th ey could be killed any time or for any reason by their
owners. If someone other than the owner killed a slave, that
killer took the place of the slave.
Another view holds that slaves were protected by laws
that prohibited an owner from killing a slave anytime the
owner wanted to do so. Th e slaves could hold important posi-
tions in households, even becoming the directors of the es-
tates of wealthy people. Th ey could earn their own money,
save it, and spend it as they wished. Indeed, the law seems to
have specifi ed that a person was a slave only until he paid off
a debt he owed someone. Slaves could be as well dressed and
well fed as their owners. An owner who did not properly care
for a slave could lose the slave, who might be freed, and in
extreme cases might fi nd himself the property of his formerslave. Th us, slaves were not beaten or otherwise abused. In
some cases, if slaves died before their debts were paid, their
families would be expected to provide a substitute. How long
the substitutes served is unclear; the substitute either served
until the debt was paid or was replaced periodically by an-
other member of the family until the debt was paid.
Slavery was practiced in South America, but to what
extent has yet to be established. For many South American
groups the customs regarding slaves would be much like
those of the nomads and villagers of North America. Girls es-
pecially were valued, becoming sexual partners of their cap-
tors or possibly serving as a sacrifi ce to the gods. Th e Moche
culture of about 100 to 600 c.e. seems to have practiced slav-
ery. Th ey may have raided other cultures to obtain captives
who would be ritually sacrifi ced. Otherwise, slaves probably
became servants in prosperous households.See also agriculture; calendars and clocks; children;
crime and punishment; death and burial practices;
drama and theater; economy; employment and la-
bor; family; foreigners and barbarians; gender struc-
tures and roles; government organization; laws and
legal codes; literature; migration and population
movements; military; nomadic and pastoral societ-
ies; occupations; religion and cosmology; settlement
patterns; social organization; sports and recreation;
towns and villages; trade and exchange; war and
conquest.- If anyone slay a man or woman in a quarrel, he shall
bring this one. He shall also give four persons, either
men or women, he shall let them go to his home. - If anyone slay a male or female slave in a quarrel, he
shall bring this one and give two persons, either men or
women, he shall let them go to his home. - If anyone smite a free man or woman and this one
die, he shall bring this one and give two persons, he
shall let them go to his home. - If anyone smite a male or female slave, he shall bring
this one also and give one person, he shall let him or her
go to his home. - If anyone slay a merchant of Hatti, he shall give one
and a half pounds of silver, he shall let it go to his home.
6. If anyone blind a free man or knock out his teeth,
formerly they would give one pound of silver, now he
shall give twenty half-shekels of silver....
8. If anyone blind a male or female slave or knock out
their teeth, he shall give ten half-shekels of silver, he
shall let it go to his home....
10. If anyone injure a man so that he cause him suff ering,
he shall take care of him. Yet he shall give him a man
in his place, who shall work for him in his house until
he recovers. But if he recover, he shall give him six half-
shekels of silver. And to the physician this one shall also
give the fee....
17. If anyone cause a free woman to miscarry, if it be the
tenth month, he shall give ten half-shekels of silver, if it
be the fi fth month, he shall give fi ve half-shekels of silver.
Th e Code of the Nesilim, excerpt
(Hittite, 1650–1500 b.c.e.) Th e Middle East(cont inued)slaves and slavery: primary source documents 9950895-1194_Soc&Culturev4(s-z).i995 995 10/10/07 2:30:42 PM