Tell el-'Oueili
| Alternative name | Tell el-‘Uwaili |
|---|---|
| Location | Iraq |
| Region | Dhi Qar Governorate |
| Coordinates | 31°14′35″N 45°53′06″E / 31.243°N 45.885°E |
| Type | settlement |
| Length | 200 metres (660 ft) |
| Height | 5 metres (16 ft) |
| History | |
| Founded | 6500-5400 BCE |
| Abandoned | before 3000 BCE |
| Periods | Ubaid |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 1976, 1978, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 2019, 2021, 2023 |
| Archaeologists | A. Parrot. J.-L. Huot |
Tell el-'Oueili (also Tell el-‘Uwaili and Awayli; Mesopotamian Arabic: تل العويلي, romanized: Təll əl-ʿOwēli) is a tell, or ancient settlement mound, located in Dhi Qar Governorate, southern Iraq. 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.