An ornamental architectural detail consisting of a stylized representation of an ox or bull skull, typically found in classical Greek and Roman buildings.
From Latin 'bucranium', combining 'bos' (ox) and 'cranium' (skull). This Latin term was adopted from Greek architectural practice and remains the formal singular term.
Bucrania were so popular in ancient architecture that they literally covered buildings—not just as decoration, but as visual reminders that you were entering a sacred space where real animal sacrifices occurred.
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