Tell

A tell (Arabic, or tel, Hebrew) is a mound site formed through successive human occupation over a very long timespan.

The word is used as a term in archaeology, particularly Middle-Eastern archaeology. It is sometimes used in a toponym, that is, as part of a town or city name, the most well known example being the city of Tel Aviv. Often a modern city is located next to an ancient mound with a similar tell name, for example the city of Arad is a few kilometers (miles) away from an ancient mound called Tel Arad[?].

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Tell is an English verb meaning "to speak to" or "to talk to"; also "to give an order". For more information on what that is, see talking.