Beneath Rome’s famous cityscape lies an ancient and largely unexplored bed of ruins. This program introduces students to the work of archaeologists, historians, and other researchers who have undertaken surveys of subterranean Rome, often relying on techniques used in cave exploration. Dr. Darius Arya, executive director of the American Institute for Roman Culture, explains how the city’s layers of development accumulated, while Adriano Morabito, cofounder of the urban spelunking group Roma Sotteranea, guides viewers through deeply buried ruins that most academics would never enter. Numerous sites, including the Cloaca Maxima and spaces beneath the Basilica of San Clemente and San Giovanni Addolorata Hospital, are featured. (52 minutes)