Desert pyramid

Consists of


Blue Terracotta Chest Chiseled Sandstone Cut Sandstone Orange Terracotta Sandstone Sandstone Slab Sandstone Stairs Stone Pressure Plate TNT

Can generate in
existing chunks

No

A desert pyramid, colloquially called a desert temple, is a sandstone structure sometimes generated in deserts, where a hidden fosse containing loot is protected by a TNT trap.^[1]

Generation[]

Desert pyramids are uncommon and may generate in deserts.

Structure[]

Desert pyramids are constructed with normal, chiseled and cut sandstone, orange and blue terracotta, sandstone slabs and sandstone stairs.

There is one main entrance at the ground floor level, a one block wide entrance at the top and two more entrances on the left and right sides near the top of the pyramid. The top of the pyramid's ceiling is almost always above ground, so a buried pyramid is accessible, but fall damage is likely.

Preview of the four hidden chests with the TNT trap under the desert pyramid.

In the center of the pyramid's 21×21 ground floor is a checkerboard pattern of terracotta and sandstone as a wind rose symbol, with a block of blue terracotta in the center. Underneath this terracotta is a secret room, the fosse, containing four chests, which are rigged by a stone pressure plate directly under the blue terracotta block. The pressure plate is connected to a 3×3 grid of TNT, which means that if a player or mob unintentionally steps on the plate, it sets off the nine TNT blocks, which destroy the chests and their loot.

As there is no light in the fosse, mobs sometimes spawn inside and trigger the TNT trap, destroying the chests and loot before any player can reach it.

When a desert pyramid generates above a canyon (ravine), it has a deeper foundation.

Loot[]

In Java Edition, each desert pyramid chest contains items drawn from 2 pools, with the following distribution:

Item	Stack Size ^[A]		Weight ^[B]		Chance ^[C]	Avg. per chest ^[D]	Avg. # chests to search ^[E]
Item	2–4×	4×	2–4×	4×	Chance ^[C]	Avg. per chest ^[D]	Avg. # chests to search ^[E]
Bone	4–6	1–8	²⁵⁄₂₃₂	¹⁰⁄₅₀	70.8%	5.216	1.4
Rotten Flesh	3–7	1–8	²⁵⁄₂₃₂	¹⁰⁄₅₀	70.8%	5.216	1.4
Gunpowder	—	1–8	—	¹⁰⁄₅₀	59.0%	3.600	1.7
Sand	—	1–8	—	¹⁰⁄₅₀	59.0%	3.600	1.7
String	—	1–8	—	¹⁰⁄₅₀	59.0%	3.600	1.7
Spider Eye	1–3	—	²⁵⁄₂₃₂	—	28.7%	0.647	3.5
Enchanted Book^[F]	1	—	²⁰⁄₂₃₂	—	23.5%	0.259	4.3
Saddle	1	—	²⁰⁄₂₃₂	—	23.5%	0.259	4.3
Golden Apple	1	—	²⁰⁄₂₃₂	—	23.5%	0.259	4.3
Gold Ingot	2–7	—	¹⁵⁄₂₃₂	—	18.0%	0.873	5.5
Iron Ingot	1–5	—	¹⁵⁄₂₃₂	—	18.0%	0.582	5.5
Emerald	1–3	—	¹⁵⁄₂₃₂	—	18.0%	0.388	5.5
Nothing^[G]	1	—	¹⁵⁄₂₃₂	—	18.0%	0.194	5.5
Iron Horse Armor	1	—	¹⁵⁄₂₃₂	—	18.0%	0.194	5.5
Golden Horse Armor	1	—	¹⁰⁄₂₃₂	—	12.3%	0.129	8.1
Diamond	1–3	—	⁵⁄₂₃₂	—	6.3%	0.129	15.8
Diamond Horse Armor	1	—	⁵⁄₂₃₂	—	6.3%	0.065	15.8
Enchanted Golden Apple	1	—	²⁄₂₃₂	—	2.6%	0.026	39.0

In Bedrock Edition, each desert pyramid chest contains items drawn from 2 pools, with the following distribution:

Item	Stack Size ^[A]		Weight ^[B]		Chance ^[C]	Avg. per chest ^[D]	Avg. # chests to search ^[E]
Item	2–4×	4×	2–4×	4×	Chance ^[C]	Avg. per chest ^[D]	Avg. # chests to search ^[E]
Bone	4–6	1–8	²⁵⁄₂₃₂	¹⁰⁄₅₀	70.8%	5.216	1.4
Rotten Flesh	3–7	1–8	²⁵⁄₂₃₂	¹⁰⁄₅₀	70.8%	5.216	1.4
Gunpowder	—	1–8	—	¹⁰⁄₅₀	59.0%	3.600	1.7
Sand	—	1–8	—	¹⁰⁄₅₀	59.0%	3.600	1.7
String	—	1–8	—	¹⁰⁄₅₀	59.0%	3.600	1.7
Spider Eye	1–3	—	²⁵⁄₂₃₂	—	28.7%	0.647	3.5
Enchanted Book^[F]	1	—	²⁰⁄₂₃₂	—	23.5%	0.259	4.3
Saddle	1	—	²⁰⁄₂₃₂	—	23.5%	0.259	4.3
Golden Apple	1	—	²⁰⁄₂₃₂	—	23.5%	0.259	4.3
Gold Ingot	2–7	—	¹⁵⁄₂₃₂	—	18.0%	0.873	5.5
Iron Ingot	1–5	—	¹⁵⁄₂₃₂	—	18.0%	0.582	5.5
Emerald	1–3	—	¹⁵⁄₂₃₂	—	18.0%	0.388	5.5
Nothing^[G]	1	—	¹⁵⁄₂₃₂	—	18.0%	0.194	5.5
Iron Horse Armor	1	—	¹⁵⁄₂₃₂	—	18.0%	0.194	5.5
Golden Horse Armor	1	—	¹⁰⁄₂₃₂	—	12.3%	0.129	8.1
Diamond	1–3	—	⁵⁄₂₃₂	—	6.3%	0.129	15.8
Diamond Horse Armor	1	—	⁵⁄₂₃₂	—	6.3%	0.065	15.8
Enchanted Golden Apple	1	—	²⁄₂₃₂	—	2.6%	0.026	39.0

↑ ^a ^b The size of stacks (or for unstackable items, number) of this item on any given roll.
↑ ^a ^b The weight of this item relative to other items in the pool.
↑ ^a ^b The odds of finding any of this item in a single chest.
↑ ^a ^b The number of items expected per chest, averaged over a large number of chests.
↑ ^a ^b The average number of chests the player should expect to search to find any of this item.
↑ ^a ^b All enchantments are equally probable, including treasure enchantments (except Soul Speed, and Swift Sneak), and any level of the enchantment is equally probable.
↑ ^a ^b 'Nothing' does not refer to the chance of an empty chest. Instead, it refers to the chance that the random loot generator does not add any loot on a single roll.

The loot chances above are per chest, and there are four chests. Each chest has a 2.6% chance of an enchanted golden apple, but with four chests, each pyramid has a 10% chance of having at least one for example.

History[]

Java Edition
1.3.1		12w21a			Added desert pyramids. A desert pyramid does not generate fully if generated partially on lakes.
1.4.6		12w50a			Enchanted books now generate in desert pyramid chests.
1.6.1		13w18a			Added horse armor to the chest's loot
1.8		14w03a			Desert pyramids now generate with terracotta (at that time called "hardened clay") instead of wool.
1.9		15w44a			Chest loot is changed.
					Added gunpowder, sand, string, spider eye and normal and enchanted golden apples.
					Average yields of diamonds, gold ingots and iron ingots were very decreased.
					Average yields of horse armor, enchanted books, rotten flesh, saddles and emeralds are a little increased.
1.18		experimental snapshot 3			Desert pyramids now always spawn on the surface rather than at a fixed Y-level.
		experimental snapshot 3			Their sandstone and terracota floor was in Y-level 65.
		experimental snapshot 4			Desert pyramids now tend to generate partially buried.
		experimental snapshot 4			Desert pyramids are no longer able to generate on water.
Pocket Edition Alpha
v0.13.0		build 1			Added desert pyramids. They could also be found on desert hills biomes.
v0.15.0		build 1			Enchanted books and horse armor now generate in desert pyramid chests.
Legacy Console Edition
TU14	CU1	1.05	Patch 1	1.0.1	Added desert pyramids.
TU31	CU19	1.22	Patch 3	1.0.1	Desert pyramids now generate with hardened clay (now terracotta) instead of wool.
New Nintendo 3DS Edition
0.1.0					Added desert pyramids.

Issues[]

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

Trivia[]

There are hieroglyphics on each temple tower. These orange symbols on the outside of desert pyramids resemble the ancient Egyptian symbol for life, an Ankh, the Nile (river) key.

Gallery[]

The main room of a desert pyramid from older versions, where dyed wool could be found.
A chamber inside in one of the two towers.
The chamber from the top floor.
A desert pyramid containing terracotta.
The treasure room inside the hidden lower chamber of the pyramid.
The nine TNT rigged under the stone pressure plate.
A pyramid generated in a desert village. A desert well is also visible.
A desert pyramid generated under the sand.
A desert pyramid partly generated under the sand with a desert village generating near it.
What desert pyramids look like on maps.
A reconstructed pyramid with the shaft extending below it.
The previous pyramid viewed from a different angle.
A pyramid generated on a thin desert caused by a badlands biome being generated next to a plains biome resulting in the pyramid being in 3 biomes.
A desert pyramid generated inside a mountain.
Village, swamp hut and desert pyramid close to each other.
Desert pyramid generated close to the village on the edge of desert biome.
Desert pyramid generated in village.
A desert pyramid completely buried under a hill.
A deeply buried desert pyramid outside of a village. In the distance, a pillager tower and another pyramid spawned.
Desert pyramid, mineshaft and stronghold generated together.
Desert pyramid reaching into 3 biomes (river, desert and plains).