This month I worked on the History Channel’s “Cities of the Underworld”, a new series focusing on subterranean sites slated to come out in the spring. You may already have seen the pilot episode on The History Channel in which host Eric Geller visits ancient underground sites in Istanbul with experts and aficionados of the city’s buried treasures.  

 

I was asked to be the fixer for two Rome episodes--the city is so rich in subterranean archaeology that one episode just wouldn’t do--which essentially entails obtaining permission to enter and film in sites, coordinating expert interviews and handling the disconcerting corruption of Italian bureaucracy. I will also appear in both episodes speaking about Rome’s water supply in the first and a sanctuary of the god Mithras in the second. The episodes should be out in the spring of 2007 so look for them on the History Channel. And for those of you who live in central New Jersey, keep your eyes peeled for the billboard advertisements my parents have threatened to purchase.