from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Tel-el-Amarna \Tel`-el-A*mar"na\, n. [Ar., hill of Amarna.]
A station on the Nile in Egypt, midway between Thebes and
Memphis, forming the site of the ancient city of Akhetaton,
capital of Amenophis IV. (Akhenaton, or Amenhotep IV., of the
18th dynasty, king 1353-1336 B. C.), whose archive chamber
was discovered there during extensive excavations in
1887-1888. A collection of about 300 clay tablets (called the
{Tel-el-Amarna tablets}, or the {Amarna tablets}) was found
here, forming the diplomatic correspondence (
{Tel-el-Amarna letters}) of Amenophis IV. and his father,
Amenophis III., with the kings of Asiatic countries (such
as Babylonia, Assyria, and Palestine), written in
cuneiform characters. It is an important source of our
knowledge of Asia from about 1400 to 1370 b. c.. The name
of the site is also spelled {Tell-el-Amarna}, {Tell el
Amarna}, and {Tel Amarna}.
[Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC]