A Space for Anthropologists to Share Their Work

BOAS Network provides a direct link between professional anthropologists and the public. Whether you're a researcher with a story to tell or simply curious about human cultures past and present, you'll find a welcoming home here.

Our video library spans nine series covering archaeology, linguistics, biological anthropology, applied work, and more — all designed to be accessible and engaging.

Anthropology has a reputation for dense textbooks and academic jargon, but it does not have to stay locked in the ivory tower. BOAS Network takes the core questions of the field — who we are, where we come from, and why we behave the way we do — and presents them in a style that is lively, accessible, and genuinely entertaining. By stripping away unnecessary complexity, the network invites a broad audience to discover that the study of humankind can feel less like a lecture and more like a great conversation among curious friends.

The human story is vast, spanning deep time and every corner of the globe. Anthropology Straight Up breaks that story into digestible pieces, tackling topics that range from ancient migration patterns to modern social rituals. Each episode is designed to spark curiosity without demanding prior knowledge. Viewers can jump in anywhere and immediately find themselves asking big questions about language, kinship, art, and belief, all while being guided by a tone that values clarity and enthusiasm over pretense.

Archaeology often gets reduced to shovels and dusty ruins in the popular imagination, but the I Dig Archeology series paints a much richer picture. It explores how material remains — pottery shards, stone tools, buried foundations — can reveal entire worlds of trade, conflict, ritual, and daily life. The series emphasizes that digging is only the beginning; the real detective work happens in the lab and in the mind, as researchers piece together narratives from fragments left behind.

Culture is not a static thing locked in a museum display case. The Culture Club series examines how living traditions, pop culture, foodways, fashion, and digital communities constantly reshape what it means to belong to a group. By looking at everything from street festivals to online subcultures, the series shows that anthropology is not just about faraway places or ancient history — it is happening right now, in every neighborhood and on every screen, waiting to be noticed and understood.

Staying connected to the wider world of anthropology means knowing what is happening in the field right now. The news and events section of BOAS Network serves as a hub where visitors can find conference announcements, festival dates, guest blog posts, and thought-provoking articles from across the discipline. Rather than requiring memberships or paywalls, the network keeps this stream of information open, believing that broad access to knowledge strengthens the entire community of learners and practitioners.

Behind every video and article is a community of people who share a fascination with what it means to be human. BOAS Network encourages visitors to create profiles, join discussions, and connect with fellow anthropology enthusiasts from around the world. This social dimension transforms passive viewing into active participation, allowing ideas to bounce between students, professionals, and the simply curious in ways that enrich everyone's understanding and keep the conversation evolving.

Linguistic anthropology, physical anthropology, folklore, and applied work all find a home within the network's growing library. The goal is not to flatten the discipline into a single voice but to showcase its remarkable diversity. One day a visitor might explore the storytelling traditions of a particular region, and the next they might learn about the biological adaptations that shaped early human survival. This range reflects the field's genuine breadth and rewards repeat visits with constant discovery.

BOAS Network operates as a non-profit with a clear mission: to make anthropological knowledge a part of mainstream culture, freely available and never hidden behind barriers. In a world hungry for better understanding across divides, the network's approach feels timely. It invites everyone — regardless of background or education — to pull up a chair, watch a video, read an article, and join a global effort to see the world more clearly and connect to it more deeply.