This work is a study of the phases present in the Fe-Zn-O system with nominal compositions (Zn1-xFex) (x=0.01, 0.05, 0.20 and 0.30). The samples obtained correspond to a mixture of ZnO, alpha-Fe2O3 and ZnFe2O4, in relative amounts that depend on x and on the heat treatment. For sintering temperatures above 500 degrees C, alpha-Fe2O3 disappears and all the iron in the system goes into ZnFe2O4. Air-treated samples show iron only in the 3+ oxidation state while for samples treated in a reducing atmosphere, Fe3+ is reduced to Fe+2, which replaces Zn+2 in the ZnO lattice.