Abandoned mineshafts are generated structures that generate in the Overworld.
Generation
Abandoned mineshafts generate naturally in the Overworld; they are usually found underground but some can be found in the ocean. They are generated before chunk features such as ores. As with other features, multiple abandoned mineshafts can generate near each other and intersect, producing larger complexes. They can also intersect with other cave systems. Corridors will generate a floor of wooden planks if they cross over empty space. Mine Under
They can also generate on the surface in mesa biomes. These are composed of dark oak planks and fences, rather than oak. Cave spider spawners and various wooden pieces will not generate if above ground (i.e. the sky light where they generate is 8 or more), and generated railways will be less complete above ground.
Structure
An abandoned mineshaft with a minecart with chest.
The dirt room found in abandoned mineshafts
A mineshaft generated on superflat using the customize feature
Abandoned mineshafts consist of:
- A starting point - a large room with a flat dirt floor, an arched ceiling and up to four exits (one in each direction, although, sometimes it generates in a way for up to five entrances.)
- Corridors - 3×3 block corridors featuring supports made from oak fences and wood planks (sometimes complementary with torches), broken rails, minecarts with chests (containing resources) and cave spider spawners surrounded by cobwebs.
- Crossings - intersections with wooden pillars, sometimes two floors tall.
- Staircases - diagonal sections of tunnel.
Loot
In Java Edition, each mineshaft chest contains items drawn from 3 pools, with the following distribution:
| Item | Stack Size [A] | Weight [B] | Chance [C] | Avg. per chest [D] |
Avg. # chests to search [E] |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1× | 2–4× | 3× | 1× | 2–4× | 3× | ||||
| Rails | — | — | 4–8 | — | — | 20⁄50 | 78.4% | 7.200 | 1.3 |
| Torch | — | — | 1–16 | — | — | 15⁄50 | 65.7% | 7.650 | 1.5 |
| Name Tag | 1 | — | — | 30⁄71 | — | — | 42.3% | 0.423 | 2.4 |
| Glow Berries | — | 3–6 | — | — | 15⁄98 | — | 38.7% | 2.066 | 2.6 |
| Bread | — | 1–3 | — | — | 15⁄98 | — | 38.7% | 0.918 | 2.6 |
| Golden Apple | 1 | — | — | 20⁄71 | — | — | 28.2% | 0.282 | 3.6 |
| Coal | — | 3–8 | — | — | 10⁄98 | — | 27.3% | 1.684 | 3.7 |
| Beetroot Seeds | — | 2–4 | — | — | 10⁄98 | — | 27.3% | 0.918 | 3.7 |
| Melon Seeds | — | 2–4 | — | — | 10⁄98 | — | 27.3% | 0.918 | 3.7 |
| Pumpkin Seeds | — | 2–4 | — | — | 10⁄98 | — | 27.3% | 0.918 | 3.7 |
| Iron Ingot | — | 1–5 | — | — | 10⁄98 | — | 27.3% | 0.918 | 3.7 |
| Activator Rail | — | — | 1–4 | — | — | 5⁄50 | 27.1% | 0.750 | 3.7 |
| Detector Rail | — | — | 1–4 | — | — | 5⁄50 | 27.1% | 0.750 | 3.7 |
| Powered Rail | — | — | 1–4 | — | — | 5⁄50 | 27.1% | 0.750 | 3.7 |
| Lapis Lazuli | — | 4–9 | — | — | 5⁄98 | — | 14.5% | 0.995 | 6.9 |
| Redstone Dust | — | 4–9 | — | — | 5⁄98 | — | 14.5% | 0.995 | 6.9 |
| Gold Ingot | — | 1–3 | — | — | 5⁄98 | — | 14.5% | 0.306 | 6.9 |
| Enchanted Book[F] | 1 | — | — | 10⁄71 | — | — | 14.1% | 0.141 | 7.1 |
| Diamond | — | 1–2 | — | — | 3⁄98 | — | 8.9% | 0.138 | 11.3 |
| Nothing[G] | 1 | — | — | 5⁄71 | — | — | 7.0% | 0.070 | 14.2 |
| Iron Pickaxe | 1 | — | — | 5⁄71 | — | — | 7.0% | 0.070 | 14.2 |
| Enchanted Golden Apple | 1 | — | — | 1⁄71 | — | — | 1.4% | 0.014 | 71.0 |
In Java Edition 1.20.2, each mineshaft chest contains items drawn from 4 pools, with the following distribution:
| Item | Stack Size [A] | Weight [B] | Chance [C] | Avg. per chest [D] |
Avg. # chests to search [E] |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1× | 2–4× | 3× | 1× | 1× | 2–4× | 3× | 1× | ||||
| Nothing[G] | 1 | — | — | 1 | 5⁄71 | — | — | 4⁄5 | 81.4% | 0.870 | 1.2 |
| Rails | — | — | 4–8 | — | — | — | 20⁄50 | — | 78.4% | 7.200 | 1.3 |
| Torch | — | — | 1–16 | — | — | — | 15⁄50 | — | 65.7% | 7.650 | 1.5 |
| Name Tag | 1 | — | — | — | 30⁄71 | — | — | — | 42.3% | 0.423 | 2.4 |
| Glow Berries | — | 3–6 | — | — | — | 15⁄98 | — | — | 38.7% | 2.066 | 2.6 |
| Bread | — | 1–3 | — | — | — | 15⁄98 | — | — | 38.7% | 0.918 | 2.6 |
| Golden Apple | 1 | — | — | — | 20⁄71 | — | — | — | 28.2% | 0.282 | 3.6 |
| Coal | — | 3–8 | — | — | — | 10⁄98 | — | — | 27.3% | 1.684 | 3.7 |
| Beetroot Seeds | — | 2–4 | — | — | — | 10⁄98 | — | — | 27.3% | 0.918 | 3.7 |
| Melon Seeds | — | 2–4 | — | — | — | 10⁄98 | — | — | 27.3% | 0.918 | 3.7 |
| Pumpkin Seeds | — | 2–4 | — | — | — | 10⁄98 | — | — | 27.3% | 0.918 | 3.7 |
| Iron Ingot | — | 1–5 | — | — | — | 10⁄98 | — | — | 27.3% | 0.918 | 3.7 |
| Activator Rail | — | — | 1–4 | — | — | — | 5⁄50 | — | 27.1% | 0.750 | 3.7 |
| Detector Rail | — | — | 1–4 | — | — | — | 5⁄50 | — | 27.1% | 0.750 | 3.7 |
| Powered Rail | — | — | 1–4 | — | — | — | 5⁄50 | — | 27.1% | 0.750 | 3.7 |
| Enchanted Book[H] | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1⁄5 | 20.0% | 0.200 | 5.0 |
| Lapis Lazuli | — | 4–9 | — | — | — | 5⁄98 | — | — | 14.5% | 0.995 | 6.9 |
| Redstone Dust | — | 4–9 | — | — | — | 5⁄98 | — | — | 14.5% | 0.995 | 6.9 |
| Gold Ingot | — | 1–3 | — | — | — | 5⁄98 | — | — | 14.5% | 0.306 | 6.9 |
| Enchanted Book[F] | 1 | — | — | — | 10⁄71 | — | — | — | 14.1% | 0.141 | 7.1 |
| Diamond | — | 1–2 | — | — | — | 3⁄98 | — | — | 8.9% | 0.138 | 11.3 |
| Iron Pickaxe | 1 | — | — | — | 5⁄71 | — | — | — | 7.0% | 0.070 | 14.2 |
| Enchanted Golden Apple | 1 | — | — | — | 1⁄71 | — | — | — | 1.4% | 0.014 | 71.0 |
In Bedrock Edition, each mineshaft chest contains items drawn from 3 pools, with the following distribution:
| Item | Stack Size [A] | Weight [B] | Chance [C] | Avg. per chest [D] |
Avg. # chests to search [E] |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1× | 2–4× | 3× | 1× | 2–4× | 3× | ||||
| Rails | — | — | 4–8 | — | — | 20⁄50 | 78.4% | 7.200 | 1.3 |
| Torch | — | — | 1–16 | — | — | 15⁄50 | 65.7% | 7.650 | 1.5 |
| Name Tag | 1 | — | — | 30⁄71 | — | — | 42.3% | 0.423 | 2.4 |
| Glow Berries | — | 3–6 | — | — | 15⁄98 | — | 38.7% | 2.066 | 2.6 |
| Bread | — | 1–3 | — | — | 15⁄98 | — | 38.7% | 0.918 | 2.6 |
| Golden Apple | 1 | — | — | 20⁄71 | — | — | 28.2% | 0.282 | 3.6 |
| Coal | — | 3–8 | — | — | 10⁄98 | — | 27.3% | 1.684 | 3.7 |
| Beetroot Seeds | — | 2–4 | — | — | 10⁄98 | — | 27.3% | 0.918 | 3.7 |
| Melon Seeds | — | 2–4 | — | — | 10⁄98 | — | 27.3% | 0.918 | 3.7 |
| Pumpkin Seeds | — | 2–4 | — | — | 10⁄98 | — | 27.3% | 0.918 | 3.7 |
| Iron Ingot | — | 1–5 | — | — | 10⁄98 | — | 27.3% | 0.918 | 3.7 |
| Activator Rail | — | — | 1–4 | — | — | 5⁄50 | 27.1% | 0.750 | 3.7 |
| Detector Rail | — | — | 1–4 | — | — | 5⁄50 | 27.1% | 0.750 | 3.7 |
| Powered Rail | — | — | 1–4 | — | — | 5⁄50 | 27.1% | 0.750 | 3.7 |
| Lapis Lazuli | — | 4–9 | — | — | 5⁄98 | — | 14.5% | 0.995 | 6.9 |
| Redstone Dust | — | 4–9 | — | — | 5⁄98 | — | 14.5% | 0.995 | 6.9 |
| Gold Ingot | — | 1–3 | — | — | 5⁄98 | — | 14.5% | 0.306 | 6.9 |
| Enchanted Book[F] | 1 | — | — | 10⁄71 | — | — | 14.1% | 0.141 | 7.1 |
| Diamond | — | 1–2 | — | — | 3⁄98 | — | 8.9% | 0.138 | 11.3 |
| Nothing[G] | 1 | — | — | 5⁄71 | — | — | 7.0% | 0.070 | 14.2 |
| Iron Pickaxe | 1 | — | — | 5⁄71 | — | — | 7.0% | 0.070 | 14.2 |
| Enchanted Golden Apple | 1 | — | — | 1⁄71 | — | — | 1.4% | 0.014 | 71.0 |
- ↑ a b c The size of stacks (or for unstackable items, number) of this item on any given roll.
- ↑ a b c The weight of this item relative to other items in the pool.
- ↑ a b c The odds of finding any of this item in a single chest.
- ↑ a b c The number of items expected per chest, averaged over a large number of chests.
- ↑ a b c The average number of chests the player should expect to search to find any of this item.
- ↑ a b c 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 c '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.
- ↑ Enchanted with a random level of Efficiency.
Video
- Note: The video shows that cocoa beans are generated in chests, this is false. Also, floating mineshafts were removed in 1.2.1. Lastly, chests were replaced with minecarts with chests since 1.5.
Mineshaft/video
History
| beta | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.8 | 1.8-pre1 | Added abandoned mineshafts. | |||
| 1.8.1 | Support beams in mineshafts are converted from wood planks to oak fences. | ||||
| release | |||||
| 1.2.1 | 12w05a | Added wooden bridges under floating sections of mineshafts. | |||
| It is no longer possible to place and ride minecarts on floating rails without the use of mods. | |||||
| 1.4.2 | Chests can no longer generate right next to each other, meaning naturally-occurring large chests do not generate any more. | ||||
| Chests can no longer be found floating in air. | |||||
| 1.4.6 | Added enchanted books in abandoned mineshaft chests. | ||||
| 1.5 | 13w02a | Changed abandoned mineshaft chests to minecarts with chests on rails. | |||
| 1.5.2 | Minecarts with chests may be generated on cobwebs. | ||||
| 1.9 | 15w44a | Added torches, beetroot seeds, enchanted and normal golden apples, and activator, detector and powered rails to minecart chests. | |||
| Removed saddles and iron horse armor from chests. | |||||
| Decreased the average yields of iron and gold ingots, melon and pumpkin seeds, diamonds, lapis lazuli, redstone and bread. | |||||
| Increased the average yield of iron pickaxes, and substantially increased the average yield of rails and enchanted books. | |||||
| 1.10 | 16w20a | Abandoned mineshafts can now generate on the surface in mesa biomes, using dark oak planks and fences rather than oak. | |||
| Pocket Edition Alpha | |||||
| 0.9.0 | build 1 | Added abandoned mineshafts. | |||
| Cave spider spawners replaced with regular spiders until potion effects are added. | |||||
| 0.10.0 | September 9, 2014 | Tommaso Checchi tweeted a picture of mineshafts generated at surface level within a mesa, in a mesa biome. | |||
| build 1 | Abandoned mineshafts can now generate on the surface in mesa biomes. | ||||
| Above-ground mineshafts now use dark oak planks and fences rather than oak. | |||||
| 0.11.0 | build 12 | Abandoned mineshafts now generate with cave spider spawners. | |||
| 0.14.0 | build 1 | Abandoned mineshafts will now generate minecarts with chests. | |||
| Legacy Console Edition | |||||
| TU5 | CU1 | 1.0 | Patch 1 | Added abandoned mineshafts. | |
| TU12 | Added wooden bridges under floating sections of mineshafts. | ||||
| TU43 | CU33 | 1.36 | Patch 13 | Abandoned mineshafts can now generate on the surface in mesa biomes, using dark oak planks and fences rather than oak. | |
Issues
Issues relating to "Mineshaft" are maintained on the bug tracker. Report issues there.
Trivia
- At bedrock layer, abandoned mineshafts will cut through the top bedrock layer(s).[verify]
- Mineshafts can generate on top of other mineshafts. If you see two different ones intersecting each other anomalously, they are two different shafts, even if they somehow meet up perfectly elsewhere.
- Mineshafts are less common near the origin of the world (0,0).[verify]
- Mushrooms can be found at the bottom of mineshafts.
Publicity
- In LEGO Minecraft Micro World- The Village, an abandoned mineshaft is beneath the village.[1]
Gallery
- 1.8 mine shaft with fences.png
An abandoned mineshaft using fences as supports.
- Minecart-with-chest abandoned-mineshaft.png
A chest cart located in an abandoned mineshaft.
- Mine Shaft Loot.png
The loot from a mineshaft's minecart chests.
- Golden Apple Mineshaft Loot (1.9).png
A regular golden apple found naturally generated in a minecart chest in snapshot 15w51b (1.9).
Pocket Edition
Odd generation
- Split Mineshaft Core.png
A dirt room with a ravine going through it.
A dungeon, stronghold and an abandoned mineshaft all in one area.
- Floatingrails.png
Floating rails
- Chest inside mincart with chest.png
A mineshaft's chest cart generated in a dungeon chest.











