cow skull

A cow skull is the bleached cranium of a dead bovine, typically found in arid landscapes where sun and scavengers have stripped the flesh.

It has become an iconic symbol of the American Southwest and desert environments, evoking themes of death, desolation, and rugged frontier life.

Cow skulls appear frequently in Western art, Southwestern décor, and as shorthand for harsh, unforgiving terrain: A cow skull sat on the fence post outside the saloon.