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Soils from North East Libya have been investigated by X‐ray diffraction, chemical analysis and Mossbauer spectroscopy. Quartz, kaolinite and illite were the main components identified by XRD in all specimens. Total and poorly ordered iron oxides were estimated using dithionite–citrate–bicarbonate (DCB) and oxalate extraction methods, respectively; in all cases, the oxalate‐extractable iron represents a relatively minor fraction. Mossbauer spectroscopy showed the presence of substantial quantities of haematite and goethite, both in microcrystalline forms, but there was no systematic relationship between the relative proportions of these phases and the geographical origins of the soils.