a mound measuring as much as 40 m in height, formed from the remains of ancient structures, chiefly of pisé, and containing cultural layers. The tepe is found in Middle Asia, the Caucasus (where it is called tapa), the Middle East (where it is called tell), India, and the Balkans. Settlements existed on the very same site for many centuries and even millennia. The remains of structures served as the foundation for new structures and the settlement grew upward. The study of tepe excavations is an important aspect of stratigraphy. One significant mound is Namazga-Tepe.