The neutron-activation analysis of prehistoric pottery samples taken from a recently excavated Halaf-culture site in eastern Syria has revealed that this site was involved in a complex pottery-trading network that embraced several other Halaf sites in this area. Trade in Halaf painted pottery seems to have been a highly structured activity, with certain Halaf sites functioning as regional pottery production and trading centers. Using activation analysis it has been possible not only to recognize pottery-trading patterns, but also to locate the geological sources for some of the clays used in Halaf pottery making.