This chapter explores the relationship between archaeology, social activism, and social movements through a case study of the 2019 social outburst in Temuco, southern Chile. Drawing on approaches from contemporary archaeology, forensic archaeology, and archaeological ethnography, and analyzes the material traces generated during protests, including debris, graffiti, altered monuments, and evidence of police repression. Fieldwork combined systematic surveys, photographic documentation, interviews, and the spatial analysis of material remains using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The chapter examines how urban spaces and historical monuments became contested arenas in which dominant national and colonial narratives were challenged. These material interventions are interpreted as practices of memory-making and political resistance that reveal the active role of material culture in moments of social conflict. By situating the findings within broader debates on heritage, power, and human rights, the chapter argues that archaeological methods offer valuable tools for documenting state violence and social unrest. It concludes by highlighting the potential of contemporary archaeology to engage critically with present-day social processes and to contribute to social justice, historical accountability, and the production of collective memory.