Archaeology

Archaeology is an upcoming mechanic that allows the player to find historical artifacts. This mechanic was originally intended to be part of the Caves & Cliffs update, but it had been delayed three times until 1.20.

Discovering artifacts

By using a brush on suspicious sand at desert pyramids and desert wells, players can obtain artifacts and other loot, such as sticks, emeralds, and pottery Shards. If the player breaks or drops a block of suspicious sand, they permanently break these artifacts. Pottery shards can be used to add decoration to decorated pots.

Additions

Blocks

Decorated Pot

• Can be crafted with any 4 pottery shards or brick items, shaped rhombic.
  • The type of crafting material decides which picture will appear on the certain side of the crafted decorated pot.
    • The possible pictures are decided by the type of pottery shard which is used to craft.
    • The brick item will not have a picture.
• Very fragile, and very easy to break it:
  • Will break apart into its crafting materials when breaking it using any block-breaking tool.
  • Will drop itself when breaking it using nothing.

Suspicious Gravel

• Generates in ocean ruins.
• Brushing the suspicious gravel with a brush will extract objects.

Suspicious Sand

• Generates in desert temples and desert wells.
• Brushing the suspicious sand with a brush will extract objects.

Items

Brush

• An item which can be used to brush things.
• Can be crafted with a feather, copper ingot and stick.

File:Skull Pottery Shard JE1 BE2.png Pottery Shard

• They have pictures on them.
• They cannot be crafted and are only found by brushing suspicious sand.

Gameplay

• The player can find items in suspicious sand or suspicious gravel inside of certain structures by using the brush.
  • In desert pyramids, suspicious sand can contain a pottery shard, TNT, gunpowder, an emerald, or a diamond.
  • In desert wells, suspicious sand can contain a pottery shard, a brick, an emerald, a stick, or suspicious stew.
  • In warm ocean ruins, suspicious sand can contain a pottery shard, a sniffer egg, an iron axe, an emerald, wheat, a wooden hoe, coal, or a gold nugget.
  • In cold ocean ruins, suspicious gravel can contain a pottery shard, an iron axe, an emerald, wheat, a wooden hoe, coal, or a gold nugget.
  • In trail ruins, suspicious sand or gravel can contain a pottery shard, an emerald, wheat, clay, a brick, dyes, a dyed candle, a stained glass pane, a hanging sign, a gold nugget, coal, wheat seeds, beetroot seeds, a dead bush, a flower pot, string, a lead, or an armor trim.

History

October 3rd, 2020					Archaeology was announced at Minecraft Live 2020.
April 14th, 2021					Archaeology was delayed to 1.18.
November 17th, 2021					Archaeology is announced to be added after The Wild Update.
February 10th, 2023					Archaeology is announced to be added in 1.20.
Java Edition
1.20 (Experimental)		23w07a			Archaeology has been added.
Bedrock Edition
Next Major Update (Expermiental)		beta 1.19.70.23			Archaeology has been added.

Issues

Issues relating to "Archaeology" are maintained on the bug tracker. Report issues there.

Gallery

Developer screenshots

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  Clay pots.

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  Ceramic shards.

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  An excavation site.

Concept artwork

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  Concept art.

References

Gameplay 

View at: Template:Gameplay/content [edit]