Series Explores Three Ancient Cities –– Athens, Cairo and Istanbul –– that Formed the Bedrock of Human Civilization Through the Ages.
ANCIENT INVISIBLE CITIES uncovers long-forgotten secrets, enigmatic structures and mysterious buried treasures hidden beneath three exciting ancient cityscapes.
Armed with a cutting-edge arsenal of high-definition 3D scanners, sub-sea LiDAR and multi-spectral images, Professor Arya takes viewers behind the scenes of these metropolises. Each scan uncovers ancient architectural and technological achievements in a new way, illuminating just how these structures continue to exist after thousands of years.
Each episode culminates in an augmented reality adventure, in which Professor Arya steps inside a hologram and interacts with breath-taking visualizations of the past while set in present-day locations. Following each episode, Professor Arya invites viewers to explore these sites themselves at home with VR technology.
Below is the schedule of the ANCIENT INVISIBLE CITIES episodes:
“Athens” – Wednesday, August 29, 2018, 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET
In this premiere episode, Professor Darius Arya uncovers the hidden secrets of ancient Athens, the city that gave the world democracy. Professor Darius Arya uses the latest 3D scanning to reveal Athens’ treasures, from the buildings on the Acropolis to the silver mines and quarries beyond the city.
“Cairo” – Wednesday, September 5, 2018, 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET
See how 3D scanning is used to explore Egypt’s ancient treasures, including the Great Pyramid of Giza, the first pyramid ever built, a hidden Roman fortress and a well, deep in the rock below the Arabic citadel of Saladin.
“Istanbul” – Wednesday, September 12, 2018, 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET
Take an extraordinary journey through ancient Istanbul, the crossroads of Europe and Asia. Professor Darius Arya uses the latest 3D imaging technology to see the city and its often invisible treasures as no human eye ever could.
ANCIENT INVISIBLE CITIES is presented by Darius Arya and executive produced by Chris Granlund. Simon Young, commissioning editor for BBC Studios, and Bill Gardner, Vice President, Programming and Development at PBS, oversee the project.
About Darius Arya:Archaeologist, professor and documentary host Darius Arya is just as comfortable in front of the proverbial blackboard as he is in front of the camera and in the trenches. He has appeared as guest lecturer, expert and host in numerous documentaries for Discovery, History and National Geographic channels, and has been cited in articles in CNN, Time, The Guardian and BBC. Currently, amidst his international travel, Darius is the host of “Under Italy” in Italian on Rai5 (Italy’s national culture channel), exploring the underbelly of Bologna, Orvieto, Catania, Palermo and more.
Since 2002, Darius has served as the executive director of the American Institute for Roman Culture, leading programs and projects, including field school excavations and study programs. He launched and directs the online educational platform Ancient Rome Live, and promotes and leads initiatives in heritage preservation with international collaboration.
A graduate from the University of Pennsylvania and Phillips Exeter Academy, Darius received his MA and PhD from University of Texas, Austin. He is a Fulbright Scholar and American Academy of Rome fellow FAAR’00. Darius lives in Rome. He is a visiting Getty Conservation Institute scholar this fall in LA. For more information please visit http://www.dariusaryadigs.com.
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