A term that originates from the Near East, a tell is a synonym for the archaeological term mound site. Mound sites are mounds that formed through successive occupation of the same spot over a very extended period of time. Tells can provide a unique key to answering questions of occupation and evolution. They have been excavated and utilized for many years by professional archaeologists and novices alike. For example, Thomas Jefferson excavated burial mounds around his Virginian property in an attempt to logically deduce how long his property had been occupied and by whom.
For further information:
Cahokia Mounds Historical Park
Also, the reference text, The 1968 Excavations at Mound 8 - Las Colinas Ruins
Group, Phoenix, Arizona, provides details, photos, sketches, and maps of various tells in
Phoenix.
Composed by Patrick Findlay, Sara Jones, Sally McIver, Joseph Billeaud, and Ted Weiman.
Last updated 25 February 1997