Date of Award

6-26-2026

Date Published

August 2026

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Anthropology

Advisor(s)

Theresa Singleton

Keywords

Conflict;Contemporary Archaeology;Cuba;Dictatorship;State Terrorism;Violence

Abstract

This dissertation examines the material, spatial, and mnemonic dimensions of state violence in Cuba through an archaeological investigation of the former Peñas Altas battery—later repurposed as Escuadrón 41, a detention and torture center during the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista (1952–1958) in Matanzas. Situated at the intersection of historical archaeology and the archaeology of the contemporary past, this study advances a theoretically informed and methodologically plural approach to understanding how authoritarian regimes inscribe, transform, and attempt to erase traces of violence within the built environment. Drawing on archival research, oral histories, 3D photogrammetry, geophysical survey (GPR), and archaeological excavation, the dissertation reconstructs the multitemporal trajectory of the site, from its origins as a 19th-century colonial fortification to its 20th-century function within a repressive state apparatus. Particular attention is given to the processes through which the structure was adapted for carceral and punitive purposes, as well as to the subsequent partial destruction of the site following the Cuban Revolution. Rather than revealing a complete material record of imprisonment, the archaeological evidence points to systematic practices of erasure, in which demolition and construction operated as strategies of both symbolic and material obliteration. The analysis is guided by three interrelated questions: how the site was transformed into a space of detention and torture; what the destruction of the site reveals about the politics of oblivion; and how limited or selective memorialization has shaped local collective memory. Engaging with theoretical frameworks on power, cultural trauma, post-memory, and dark heritage, the dissertation argues that destruction is not merely the negation of materiality but an active process in the production of historical narratives. In this sense, absence, fragmentation, and silence emerge as critical archaeological data. By situating the site within a broader landscape of conflict in the Matanzas region, this study highlights how materialities of violence extend beyond discrete locations to shape urban and social geographies. It also critically examines the tension between official memory—often institutionalized through state narratives—and alternative or marginalized forms of remembering that persist within local communities and diasporic contexts. The case of Escuadrón 41 reveals a distinctive pattern within the Cuban context: while some sites associated with the dictatorship have been symbolically reappropriated, others have been deliberately neglected or erased, contributing to a fragmented and uneven memoryscape. This dissertation makes both empirical and theoretical contributions. Empirically, it presents the first archaeological study of a detention and torture center in Cuba, addressing a significant gap in both Cuban archaeology and broader studies of Latin American dictatorships. Theoretically, it advances an archaeology of absence and destruction, emphasizing the ethical and political implications of engaging with sites of repression. Ultimately, the research argues for an “archaeology of hope,” in which the recovery and interpretation of difficult pasts can foster critical reflection, challenge dominant narratives, and contribute to processes of remembrance, recognition, and potential social healing.

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