Archaeological Training at a Former Illegal Detention Centre (1976–1983), in Buenos Aires, Argentina: Social Memory, Commitment, and Archaeological Education

Abstract

In this paper we present the archaeological training that archaeology undergraduate students of the University of Buenos Aires performed at a former illegal detention centre from the Argentinian dictatorship, the Espacio para la Memoria y la Promoción de los DDHH ex-Centro Clandestino de Detención Tortura y Exterminio ‘Club Atlético’ (Memorial Site for the Advancement of Human Rights, Former Illegal Detention, Torture and Extermination Centre ‘Athletic Club’) between 2016 and 2019. After contextualizing the development of archaeology teaching at the university level in Buenos Aires and the archaeological research at an illegal detention centre from the dictatorship, we present the results of this training to show how approaching archaeological topics in a way that is historically, politically, and physically closer to the students helped them to incorporate fieldwork and lab issues in a committed and meaningful way.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

keywords:

• contemporary archaeology
• archaeological teaching
• human rights
• Argentina
• illegal detention centre

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the Work and Consensus Commission of the EMPDHexCA for their support of the archaeological work; the National Human Rights Secretariat for their support to the public policy of Memory, Truth, and Justice; the DA-FFyL-UBA and especially its Chair, Josefina Martínez, for supporting this project. We also thank the teachers of the Argentine Archaeology course: Valeria Palarmaczuk, Anahí Re, Mara Basile, and especially Verónica Williams for her support while she was on the course. Thanks to all the students who participated in the work, and especially to María Luján Galvano, Lucía Rombóla, and Araceli Lavallén for the pictures; to the course interns (Imanol Balena, Mailin Campos, Paz Catá, and Mercedes Dibernardi); to the specialists who participated with their classes (Lic. Bárbara Pasik, Tec. Jorge Caudullo, Lic. Adríán Favero, Mg. Beatriz Rodríguez Basulto, Dr Alejandra Fazio, Tec. Pablo Penas). Thanks to Arshes Anasal for the editing the text and to Mercedes Doretti for her English terminology suggestions; to the rest of the EMPDHexCA team (Ricardo Andreu, Ángeles Aguilar, Lorena Lezcano, Susana Bargach Mitre, Clara Rebottaro Pettinari, and the Inspection Section: Lic. Leonardo Mucciolo, Dra, María José Saletta, and Arq. Camila Quintanilla), and those who participate and participated to support EMPDHexCA as a beacon of Memory, Truth, and Justice.

Funding details

The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Notes

1 DA-FFYL-UBA has a Régimen de adscripciones de cátedra (internship programme) which allows senior students or graduate students to have teaching experience on a certain course. The assignment lasts two years, with the possibility of renewal. In the case of the Argentine Archaeology course, the main function is to act as tutors for the monograph. To date, Dr Imanol Balena, Mailin Campos, Lic. Paz Catá, Lic. Mercedes Dibernardi, and Lic. Silvina Seguí, co-author of this work, have participated as interns at the EMPDHexCA

2 A large engineering work has developed on site, product of an agreement with Autopistas Urbanas S.A., which will allow the removal of a highway section that prevents the development of archaeological excavations in places of high testimonial value.

3 In mid-October 2019, the Chilean government announced an increase in subway fees. That triggered massive mobilizations against the socio-economic inequalities instated by President Sebastián Piñera. As an answer Piñera declared a state of emergency and ordered the repression of the protest, leaving 14,874 injured and 34 dead, according to Amnesty International (https://www.amnesty.org/es/latest/research/2020/10/eyes-on-chile-police-violence-at-protests [accessed 7 June 2021]). International organizations denounced human rights violations committed by the Chilean State (https://www.ohchr.org/SP/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID = 25423&LangID = S [accessed 7 June 2021]).

4 After the 2019 elections a serious crisis exploded. During the repression of demonstrations, many human rights violations have been recorded. Amnesty international notes that around 35 people have died and 833 have been injured in the context of protests since the elections (https://www.amnesty.org/es/latest/news/2020/08/bolivia-violaciones-derechos-humanos-during-crisis-postelectoral/ and https://www.oas.org/es/cidh/prensa/comunicados/2019/321.asp [accessed 7 June 2021]).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Silvina Seguí

Silvina Segui Archaeologist, Middle and Higher Education Teacher in Anthropological Sciences and PhD student at the University of Buenos Aires. Doctoral fellow of CONICET (National Council for Scientific and Technical Research). Specialized in zooarchaeological analysis in the Argentine Northwest.

Silvina Durán

Silvina Durán Advanced undergraduate student at the Department of Anthropology, University of Buenos Aires. She has been collaborating at the Espacio para la Memoria y la Promoción de los DDHH ex-Centro Clandestino de Detención Tortura y Exterminio ‘Club Atlético’ since 2004 and have been part of team since 2009, carrying out management, planning, documentation, archaeological research, collection management and teaching tasks. She has also participated as an advisor in different Former IDC in Argentina.

Laura Duguine

Laura Duguine Archaeologist, Master in Restoration and Integrated Management of Built Heritage at the Universidad del País Vasco (UPC/ EHU, Spain). She has been working at Espacio para la Memoria y la Promoción de los DDHH ex-Centro Clandestino de Detención Tortura y Exterminio ‘Club Atlético’ since 2009, and since 2014 she coordinates its work team. She worked in different Former IDC of the country in Argentina and has advised on the memorial recovery in Paraguay. She participated in the NGO Acciones Coordinadass contra la Trata as an archaeologist expert. Member of the interdisciplinary research team of the Imprenta Roberto Matthews memorial site located in Córdoba (Argentina).

Valeria Contissa

Valeria Contissa Advanced undergraduate student in Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Assets at the Universidad del Museo Social Argentino (UMSA). Specialized in pathology of built heritage materials and collection management. Since 2009 she has been a member of the interdisciplinary work team of the Espacio para la Memoria y la Promoción de los DDHH ex-Centro Clandestino de Detención Tortura y Exterminio ‘Club Atlético’ in conservation tasks.

Vivian Scheinsohn

Vivian Scheinsohn Archaeologist, Full Professor at University of Buenos Aires, Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, Department of Anthropology, Arqueología Argentina course. Researcher at CONICET (National Council for Scientific and Technical Research) from 1999, she has directed several archaeological research projects in Patagonia. She specialises in Hunter-Gatherer Archaeology, Bone Technology and Evolutionary Theory in Archaeology.