Sand

This sand is from the collection of the late Ivor Treby. He collected it in the lower chamber of the Temple of Jupiter at the ruins of Sufetula Sbeitla.

This white limestone sand is probably derived from local Upper Cretaceous-Palaeogene marine sediments. It contains some sparse white, angular shell fragments up to up to 2 mm ins size, some is probably recent. Charcoal (carbonised plant) is common, probably recent and forms black speckling in loose silty matrix.

Quartz grains are common, transparent to translucent mainly colourless. There are some larger, well-rounded and matt surfaced grains, 0.2-2mm, probably aeolian. Mainly finer quartz and sub-angular grains, 0.05-3mm,probably of direct local sedimentary origin. The source of the finer quartz is probably soft white sandy limestone. This is also present as sub-angular to sub-rounded 0.2-4mm.

Ivor was a biochemistry teacher and poet with over 400 published poems. He considered himself to be a gay literary activist.

Ivor took early retirement in the 1980s and dedicated his time to researching two Victorian/Edwardian women poets who wrote under the pseudonym Michael Field. He also spent much of the next 20 years travelling abroad. Wherever he went he collected samples of sand and sediment.

He was meticulously organised. His personal archive of poems, postcards, letters and research is held by the Bodleian Library at the University of Oxford. For more information on Ivor and the archive please see their website http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/dept/scwmss/wmss/online/modern/treby/treby.html