In the period 6000-5000 BC a farming society emerged in north Mesopotamia and Syria which shared a common culture and produced pottery that is amongst the finest ever made in the Near East. It is known as Halaf, after the site of Tell Halaf in northeast Syria where it was first identified. The Halaf potters achieved exceptionally sophisticated designs with their painted ware although many pots were plain or used for cooking. Their pots were built up by hand as the potter’s wheel was not invented until over 1000 years later. This distinctive pottery has been found from south-east Turkey across to Iran, but may have its origins in the region of the River Khabur (modern Syria) or northern Iraq. How and why it spread so widely is a matter of continuing debate although it is possible that high-quality pottery was exchanged as prestige items between local elites.

The Halaf culture also produced a great variety of amulets and stamp seals of geometric design, as well as a range of female terracotta figurines, often with emphasised sexual features. Halaf settlements were small agricultural villages, many with distinctive buildings known as tholoi, which were round structures with or without antechambers. The Halaf culture was eventually absorbed into the Ubaid culture, with changes in pottery and building styles.