The Lynn H. Wood Archaeological Museum is using a dash of technology and pop culture to reach out to the students at Southern Adventist University.
The museum recently bought about 15 iPods to be used for self-guided audio tours of the collection, said Michael Hasel, director of the museum and professor of Near Eastern studies and archaeology at Southern in Collegedale.
“I have been to a lot of museums all over the world and haven’t seen this used before,” he said.
The iPods contain photos of artifacts accompanied by a voice-over narrating the history behind each piece. Museumgoers can choose which pieces to hear about, creating a customized tour for each person, Dr. Hasel said.
“Most of the other audio tours simply use an audio handheld device, but there’s no real visual other than what you’re seeing,” Dr. Hasel said. “They can select what they want to listen to.”