Tell el-'Oueili

Tell el-'Oueili
Tell el-'Oueili
Shown within Iraq
Alternative nameTell el-‘Uwaili
LocationIraq
RegionDhi Qar Governorate
Coordinates31°14′35″N 45°53′06″E / 31.243°N 45.885°E / 31.243; 45.885
Typesettlement
Length200 metres (660 ft)
Height5 metres (16 ft)
History
Founded6500-5400 BCE
Abandonedbefore 3000 BCE
PeriodsUbaid
Site notes
Excavation dates1976, 1978, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 2019, 2021, 2023
ArchaeologistsA. Parrot. J.-L. Huot

Tell el-'Oueili (also Tell el-‘Uwaili and Awayli); Mesopotamian Arabic: تل العويلي, romanized: Təll əl-ʿOwēli is an archaeological site in the ancient Near East, located in Dhi Qar Governorate, southern Iraq. It is located 3.5 kilometers southeast of the ancient site of Larsa. The site was excavated between 1976 and 1989 by French archaeologists under the direction of Jean-Louis Huot. The excavations have revealed occupation layers predating those of Eridu, making Tell el-'Oueili the earliest known human settlement in Lower Mesopotamia.