Desert pyramid

Biomes	Desert Desert Hills‌^{[Bedrock Edition only]}
Consists of	See /Structure
Can generate in existing chunks	No

A desert pyramid is a sandstone structure generated in deserts. Each pyramid has a hidden chamber containing loot that is protected by a TNT trap.

Generation[edit]

Desert pyramids generate uncommonly in deserts.The floor is always at Y-coordinate 64, sometimes causing the temple to be partially buried in sand. In Bedrock, the temples also generate in desert hills.

Structure[edit]

Inside view of a desert pyramid.

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

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 and two more entrances on the left and right sides near the top of the pyramid.

In the center of the pyramid's 21×21 ground floor is a checkerboard pattern of terracotta and sandstone, with a block of blue terracotta in the center. Underneath this terracotta is a chamber 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 TNT, which destroys the chests and their loot.

Desert pyramids appear yellow on maps similar to sand and sandstone, but with a distinctive shape.

Loot[edit]

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 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.

History[edit]

Java Edition
1.3.1		12w21a			Added desert pyramids.
1.4.6		12w50a			Enchanted books now generate in desert pyramid chests.
1.6		?			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.
Pocket Edition Alpha
v0.13.0		build 1			Added desert temples.
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 stained clay (now terracotta) instead of wool.
New Nintendo 3DS Edition
0.1.0					Added desert pyramids.

Issues[edit]

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

Trivia[edit]

The orange symbols on the outside is the Ancient Egyptian symbol for life,^[1] an Ankh.^[2]
As there is no light in the lower chamber, mobs sometimes spawn inside and trigger the TNT trap, destroying the chests and loot before any player can reach it. Rarely a lava lake might generate next to TNT, also potentially setting off the trap.
A desert pyramid does not generate fully if generated partially on lakes.
The top of the pyramid's ceiling is almost always above ground, so a buried temple is accessible, but fall damage is likely.
When a desert pyramid generates above a canyon, it has a deeper foundation like the village houses prior to the Village and Pillage update.
The loot chances above are per chest, and there are four chests. For example, each chest has a 2.6% chance of an enchanted golden apple, but with four chests, each temple has a 10% chance of having at least one.
A fully powered beacon can fit within the upper level of the Desert Temple with the beacon’s beam perfectly being placed in the hole at the top.

Gallery[edit]

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 well is also visible.
A pyramid generated in an old village.
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 temple being in 3 biomes.
A perfect naturally-generated double desert pyramid.
A desert temple that has a dungeon generated inside it.
A desert pyramid generated inside a mountain.
Village, Swamp hut and Desert pyramid close to each other.
A desert temple generated partly inside a desert village.