MEIGHAN, Clement W.

Clement Woodward Meighan (1925-1997)

MEIGHAN, Clement Woodward (1925-1997), San Francisco-born Berkeley graduate and archaeologist who taught at the University of California at Los Angeles from 1952 until 1991. California archaeology on the southern California Channel Islands was his particular field interest, and he worked extensively on San Nicolas, Santa Catalina, San Clemente and Anacapa islands. Meighan got the first carbon-14 date for the islands from the Little Harbor site on Santa Catalina Island. Prolific writer, Meighan authored over 200 papers.

Investigations at San Clemente Island were conducted from 1983 through 1987 by Clement Meighan. Reports by Meighan, his students, and other researchers appear in the Winter 2000 issue of Pacific Coast Archaeological Society Quarterly 1-4, 1980 . Constance Cameron served as guest editor.

• 1953. C. W. Meighan and Hal Eberhart Archaeological Resources of San Nicholas [sic] Island American Antiquity 19:2 (109-125), 1953

• 1954. C. W. Meighan The Nicoleño Pacific Discovery 7(1):22-27, 1954

[original in SCIF archives] [Santa Cruz Island file]

• 1957. C. W. Meighan A Prehistoric Miner's Camp on Catalina Island Masterkey 31(6):176–184, 1957

• 1957. C. W. Meighan and K. L. Johnson Isle of Mines. Catalina's Ancient Indian Quarries Pacific Discovery 10(1):24-29, 1957

• 1959. C. W. Meighan The Little Harbor Site, Catalina Island. An Example of Ecological Interpretation in Archaeology American Antiquity 24(4):383-405, 1959

• 1976. C. W. Meighan Stone Effigies in Southern California Masterkey 50:125-129, Southwest Museum 1976

• 1980. C. W. Meighan Catalina Archaeology: An Introduction Pacific Coast Archaeological Society Quarterly 1-4, 1980

[original in SCIF archives]

• 1983. Axford, L. Michael and C. W. Meighan An Interpretation of a Midden Column Sample from an Ancient Site on San Clemente Island Ms. on file at Institute of Archaeology, UCLA

• 1983. C. W. Meighan New Findings at the Ledge Site, San Clemente Island Masterkey 57(4):164-168, 1983

• 1987. Meighan, Clement W. Indians and California Missions Santa Barbara Mission Archive Library, 1987. Stapled wraps, p. 187-201. Keepsake presented to Friends of the Santa Barbara Mission Archive Library. Reprinted from Southern California Quarterly 49 (Fall 1987).

[original in SCIF archives]

• 2000. C. W. Meighan Overview of the Archaeology of San Clemente Island, California Pacific Coast Archaeological Society Quarterly 36(1):1-17, Winter 2000

[original in SCIF archives]

• 2000. C. W. Meighan Rock Art of the Channel Islands of California Pacific Coast Archaeological Society Quarterly 36(2):15-24, Spring 2000

[original in SCIF archives]

• 2000. C. W. Meighan Excavations at Eel Point Pacific Coast Archaeological Society Quarterly 36(3):1-6, Summer 2000

[original in SCIF archives]

• 2000. C. W. Meighan Introduction to Archaeology of the Nursery Site Pacific Coast Archaeological Society Quarterly 36(3):66-70, Summer 2000

[original in SCIF archives]

* 2000. C. W. Meighan Excavations at Ledge, San Clemente Island Pacific Coast Archaeological Society Quarterly 36(4):1-8, Fall 2000

[original in SCIF archives]

* 2000. C. W. Meighan The Old Air Field Site, San Clemente Island Pacific Coast Archaeological Society Quarterly 36(4):68-79, Fall 2000

[original in SCIF archives]

In the News~

October 8, 1953 [MS]: “Los Angeles. California island yields Indian lore. On barren San Nicolas Island, 56 miles off the southern coast of California, a large Indian population lived before Columbus discovered America, anthropologists from the University of California at Los Angeles report. A survey of the island recently completed by Dr. Clement Meighan and Hal Eberhart of the University’s anthropology department said approximately 68 prehistoric village sites were identified on the island. The population was believed to number about 1000 before Spaniards came to California…”

March 6, 1957 [TI/Avalon]: “Modern science has established Indian villages existed on Catalina Island 4000 years ago, Dr. Clement Meighan, UCLA anthropologist, reported today. He bases his findings on radioactive carbon techniques used to examine the relics unearthed at several locations in the Little Harbor area.”

March 7, 1857 [LAT]: “Santa Catalina Island was a popular tourist resort 4000 years ago! Dr. Clement Meighan, UCLA anthropologist, reported yesterday he has learned from radioactive carbon-dating techniques that Indian relics found at Catalina’s Little Harbor area are about that old… Relics uncovered at Little Harbor include bone fish hooks, quartz spear points, stone hammers, mortars and pestles for grinding plant seeds, and shell beads. Also there were bones from dolphins, seals and other forms of marine life. Since UCLA launched a systematic archaeological survey of the island in 1953, several Indian sites have been excavated…”