To the rear of the zygomatic ~process~ is a small aperture in the |temporal bone|. This aperture, called the |mastoid foramen| because of its location on the |mastoid process|. The |mastoid foramen| allows the emissary |vein| (from the sigmoid ~sinus~ to the occipital |veins|) and a meningeal branch of the |occipital artery| to transmit through the |temporal bone|. It may be, in some individuals, multiple foramina, rather than the single ~foramen~.
