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Discovered over 150 years ago, the early Upper Paleolithic human remains from the Cro-Magnon Rock Shelter have an iconic status, but due to skeletal commingling after discovery, their bio-profiles remain incomplete and contentious. This contribution considers the cranium referred to as Cro-Magnon 2 in order to clarify the status of a defect on the frontal bone and to situate these remains among others of Pleistocene date. This presentation draws on the medical experiences of military physicians treating head injuries in the pre-antibiotic era in order to understand the form of the lesion, its differential diagnosis, and the behavioral sequelae of the injury with implications for mortuary treatment. This example from the distant past is located and thus helps to define obstacles and boundaries of interpretations of treatment and care accorded in the past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]