Oct. 29, 2025 — We are deeply saddened to announce the death of Anthropology Affiliate Associate Professor of Practice David Neil Schmitt, who died of natural causes on October 16, 2025, just one day before his 66th birthday.
Born and raised in Eugene, Oregon, Schmitt was a proud Oregon State University alumnus, earning both his B.S. in Anthropology and M.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies with an emphasis in Archaeology and Geography.
Schmitt began his career researching the ancient peoples of the Great Basin, conducting extensive fieldwork throughout the region. He later devoted more than two decades to anthropological and archaeological research in the Central African Republic, collaborating closely with his wife and research partner, Karen Lupo, Professor of Anthropology at SMU.
Together, they pioneered prehistoric research in the Central African Republic, where little was previously known about early hunter-gatherer societies. Their groundbreaking work dated some of the oldest rock art in the Congo Basin and discovered the only known prehistoric pit iron mines in the region, expanding global understanding of human innovation and adaptation.
They advanced understanding of hunter-gatherer societies, environmental adaptation, and human ecology, contributing significantly to the fields of archaeology and anthropology through numerous publications and international collaborations. Their research continues to shape how scholars understand the deep human past and the enduring relationship between people and their environments.
Schmitt’s full obituary can be read here.
