ABSTRACTSThis study uses X‐ray fluorescent analysis to compare the trace chemical composition of seventeen pottery sherds excavated from sites in Britain with the trace analyses of twenty four sherds from continental sources. Results indicate that certain elements, notably zirconium, titanium, rubidium, and strontium show little variation within a particular sherd and are consistent among samples from the same source. Certain other elements appear to show wide variation which is possibly attributable to firing conditions, burial or is connected with the glaze. The comparisons of analyses indicate that nine of the seventeen British sherds can be closely correlated with particular continental sources. Tentative correlation is suggested for five sherds. The remaining three sherds clearly do not come from any of the sources investigate