Biomes | |||
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Consists of |
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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.

Inside view of a desert pyramid.
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] |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2–4× | 4× | 2–4× | 4× | ||||
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] |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2–4× | 4× | 2–4× | 4× | ||||
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 | ![]() | |||
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 | ![]() | |||
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. | |||
Their sandstone and terracota floor was in Y-level 65. | |||||
experimental snapshot 4 | Desert pyramids now tend to generate partially buried. | ||||
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 | 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 nine TNT rigged under the stone pressure plate.
A pyramid generated in a desert village. A desert well is also visible.
What desert pyramids look like on maps.
Desert pyramid, mineshaft and stronghold generated together.
Odd generation[]
A pyramid generated in an old village.
A desert pyramid that has a dungeon generated inside it.
A desert pyramid generated partly inside a desert village.
A pillager outpost that generated inside of a desert temple.
See also[]
- Tutorial on defeating desert pyramids
- Jungle pyramid
- Minecraft Dungeons:Desert Temple
- Beacon
- Brick pyramid