Daily AncestorDeath's head
A death's head is a carved skull, usually with wings, on early New England gravestones; it reminded the living of death and the soul's flight from the body.
The death's head is the oldest common carving on American gravestones. Boston's burying grounds show it from the 1600s, often with wings, crossed bones or both. Puritans would not carve angels or crosses, so a skull was an acceptable reminder of mortality.
In eastern Massachusetts it gave way slowly to the winged face (soul effigy) during the 1700s, at different times in different towns, and the two were carved side by side for decades. Each carver drew his skull his own way, so the style can help identify the shop that cut the stone.
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Daily Ancestor. "Death's head." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/gravestone-symbols/deaths-head. Last checked 2026-10-15.