What Is a “Tell”?
Although the title of this page may suggest that this is a page about proclaiming a story, it is really about a specific kind of ancient ruin. The simplest definition of a tell (or tal in Arabic) is “an artificial mound created by levels of occupation.” John Currid defines a tell as “a mound consisting of debris from cities built on top of one another on the same site” (p. 42). Schoville gives a more detailed definition. He says, “A tell is a mound containing the debris of human occupation that has accumulated at a site, built up in successive layers over the centuries through a sequence of habitation, destruction, and reconstruction” (p. 98). All the definitions above point toward two common elements: an artificially made mound and human occupation.
You may have seen the term “Khirbet” in your reading and wonder what is the difference between a khirbet and a tell. Generally speaking, both are found on natural hills but a tell is a mound of ruins whereas a khirbet is a site that does not take the form of a mound. Usually, a khirbet site has only a few or even a single occupation period, not enough to form a mound. In Jordan, khirbets are the most common type of site.
Tells come in a variety of shapes and sizes so they may not be as easy to recognize as you think. At first glance, a tell looks like small hill with a flat top and steep sides. Tells usually look “natural” in their location because they are usually build upon a pre-existing knoll or small hill. The sides of the tell tend to be unnaturally steep such that they can be difficult for a person to climb. Often, inhabitants built a city wall around the top edge of the tell for protection from enemies. Fortunate for archaeologists, the remains of this wall holds soil in place and slows the natural erosion process. Also, the ancient peoples sometimes built a glacis on the side of the tell. A glacis helped to prevent an invading army from digging under the city walls. Furthermore, a glacis stops erosion and allows for steeper sides.
Sites for human occupation (tell sites) were not arbitrarily chosen. Usually, tells are located near fertile fields suitable for farming, near a water source, perhaps near a trade route or ancient highway, and offer some security either through their height allowing for a commanding view or through their strategic location or both. Because these elements are timeless and basic to urban culture, sites (and tells) attracted settlers, and therefore, reuse of sites became common.