Send us your feedback, ideas and suggestions for the next big Minecraft update!

← Trails & Tales Update
618
Follow

Let's talk about Archeology!

Pinned

Archaeology is coming to Minecraft in update 1.20, and you can try it out right now in Java snapshot and as an experimental feature in Bedrock!

This new system has several components, introducing a new craftable item (the brush) and new blocks (suspicious sand and decorative pots), as well as changes to desert temples and wells. You can read more about how it all works in the changelogs linked below. 

We're still developing archeology, so your thoughts and feedback are greatly appreciated as work continues in the lead-up to the final 1.20 release. Let us know what you think in the comments! 

How to test new Minecraft Features: 
https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/article/testing-new-minecraft-features

Latest Changelogs:

You can find all previous changelogs in the Knowledge Base in the "Beta Information and Changelogs" category.

 

Avatar
Registered User shared this idea

605 Comments

Please sign in to leave a comment.

Date Votes
Sorted by oldest
  • 11
    Registered User commented
    Comment actions Permalink

    We should be able to break decorated pots by throwing arrows and tridents; once broken they will drop the pottery shards used to craft them

  • 5
    Registered User commented
    Comment actions Permalink

    Archaeology so far is great, but:

    1. Brush's crafting recipe needs to be reworked. Just like many other suggestions here, Copper and Feathers just make complete sense to be in its crafting recipe 🪶
    2. Add Suspicious Gravel. I think limiting the digging to Suspicious Sand at desert wells and temples were smart, it gives them more use and reason. However, it does not make full sense to only be able to practice Archaeology in ONE biome. Adding Suspicious Gravel will give more opportunity for players to discover this feature wherever they are exploring. Suspicious Gravel could generate in Mega Taiga, and around Underwater Ruins  or maybe even in the Stronghold 😃
    3. Lastly, to respect the tradition of the history of games. Pots need to generate naturally in the world, somewhere 😤 Make it rare, of course, yes. Nothing more satisfying than walking around in your world and just coming across pots waiting to be SMASHED 🏺🏺🏺
  • 3
    Registered User commented
    Comment actions Permalink

    While the new pot texture is much better the model leaves a lot to be desired. The opening at the top causes a lot of instances of clipping and z-fighting. I think it still needs some iteration. Along with that, it'd be nice to get another pot with a model similar to the old one. That one could also work like a cauldron, since the top is so wide.

  • 4
    Registered User commented
    Comment actions Permalink

    Slightly enlarge the neck of the pot.

    When you put a flower pot on it, the textures begin to overlap each other, which is why this decoration looks like ugly.

  • 7
    Registered User commented
    Comment actions Permalink

    I really like the new look of the pots, even more than the ones from Minecraft Live. I have few concerns tho that I think will/should be changed in future snapchots. But there's also a lot of positives.
    •The brush recipe makes no sense. The texture clearly has copper in it, so why isn't it in the crafting recipe? Also, two sticks are too long for a little brush. Instead it should be one copper and a feather, or a string. It would also give more uses to an underused feature.
    •Pot shards. The ones we have are cool, but I feel like we need way more of them so that we can do storytelling.
    •I love the new secret room in the dessert temple.
    •Maybe a way to color the pot shards? I'm not sure how I feel about the fact that they're not colorful like they were in Minecraft Live. In the same time when they're black it has a nice vibe to it and makes sense since paint can't survive thousands of years. Maybe just making it possible for us to color them would be nice?

  • 10
    Registered User commented
    Comment actions Permalink

    I would be happy to see archeology near Jungle temples with special jungle related items and ancient pot trims

  • 1
    Registered User commented
    Comment actions Permalink

    Add a archeology site in the nether with pot shards that can only be found there. Player could have a rare chance to find that netherite upgrade template in the site. This site could have suspicious gravel or soul sand, soil. The pots could also have 2 or 3 inventory slots. Players could expand this inventory by stacking the pots.

     

  • 0
    Registered User commented
    Comment actions Permalink

    I think that we should have those dig sites from minecraft live, and also more pottery shard designs. Other than that, archaeology is awesome!

  • 0
    Registered User commented
    Comment actions Permalink

    wow we need lore here. Ancient boss please

  • 4
    Registered User commented
    Comment actions Permalink

    For us creative mode builders and map makers we currently have no easy way to add loot to our own sus sand so I suggest that we could interact using an item like a diamond to place it inside of suspicious sand if it currently has no item inside of it.

    I also suggest sus gravel, dirt, and soul soil. Even if you don't add the new sus blocks to their own structures it would still be convenient for us builders, that is if my previous suggest is considered.

  • 4
    Registered User commented
    Comment actions Permalink

    I think that can be cool if we can place plants into the decorative pot, like dreep-leaf or other plants who can't be place into basic flowers pots.

    Thank you for reading

  • 5
    Registered User commented
    Comment actions Permalink

    I really enjoy the new archaeology system. I think that the biggest ways to improve it would be to expand the structures with archaeological features. Specifically, I think that Igloos, Jungle Temples, Underwater ruins, Ruined Nether Portals, Bastions, Ocean Monuments, and End Cities could all have some archeological features. This could open the door to distinct pottery shards from each of these structures. This would add to the creativity when we make decorated pots. Adding secret rooms, like in the desert temple would be very cool to see continued going forward. I love the current decor options allowed by the top of the pot being only visual. This is definitely a great block for building. I would suggest adding the ability to change the color of the pots using terracotta. Finally, I would love to be able to find some fossils within the suspicious blocks. It would allow for some very interesting lore expansions in the minecraft world. Plus it would provide another family of unique decoration blocks. I really love the direction of archaeology and can’t wait to see how it moves forward!

  • 2
    Registered User commented
    Comment actions Permalink

    DIG SIGHTS AND ARMOR TRIMS

    Dig-sight ideas:
    First of all I feel it's a good move going in the direction of adding archeology to currently existing structures like mine-shafts, jungle temples sunken ships, bastions, etc. This would farther encourage building around these structures and staying there longer than just looting chests and then never coming back and encourage players to build their own dig-sights at these structures or at archeology spots around the world that are not around structures. 

    Armor Trims and Upgrades:
    At dig-sights you should uncover armor trims that match the structure they were found at this would tie them in with archeology and give trims a better way of obtaining them then just chest loot. and for all the people who think its expensive perhaps the wondering trader could sometimes carry trims giving them an alternative way of being obtained. also adding the armor upgrades and ancient debris to archeology in the nether near bastions or nether fortresses would feed into the idea of netherite being an ancient material harnessed long ago and would link it with the armor upgrades in a way that allows people to tell there own stories and once again adding a better way of obtaining armor upgrades then just chest loot and more of a reason for people to interact with archeology.

  • 0
    Registered User commented
    Comment actions Permalink

    They look pretty good so far, but I'm wondering where the images which were shown off a few years ago went. Really hope those four are not the only ones coming and more are shown off in the future. 

  • 1
    Registered User commented
    Comment actions Permalink

    Fossils should be made more common and be archaeology dig sites. They could have a camp around them similar to the old ones in the 2020 Minecraft live

  • 4
    Registered User commented
    Comment actions Permalink

    More Archeology loot and pots 

    loot:
    we could find loot correlating with the structure it was found at hinting at it's use long ago. It would be fun trying to extract what the ships were hauling across the seas or long lost goods guarded by the warden in the deep dark or the missing blocks for the ruined nether portal and ancient debris and armor upgrades around the structures in the nether hidden in soul sand or gravel all of these could include there own armor trim pattern making a better alternative to getting them then just chest loot and tieing them in with the new archeology.

    Pots:
    I also feel you should simply revert the change in pot mechanics (not art) i liked the idea of crafting a raw pot decorating it and then putting over a fire source to heat it up shown in Minecraft live. this would farther encourage building around the site and i simply think its a more fun and interactive.

  • 8
    Registered User commented
    Comment actions Permalink

    Spawning's Error, Preserved and Compressed Monsters

    To create a more naturally consistent feeling of Minecraft's monsters, there should be some sort of way for a player to find the remains of monsters that had suffocated from the immediate surroundings of their spawn. Depending on what substance those surroundings were, the monsters would be, in a block, preserved(if spawned in sand, ice or snow), or compressed(if in any other block). These blocks would generate naturally, they wouldn't be created with the natural spawning of monsters. Preserved and Compressed might not be the best names out there, but I think this concept is worth considering at fundamental scale.

  • 3
    Registered User commented
    Comment actions Permalink

    Sorry, but in "Let's talk about Archeology!", there's a falsely spelled Archaeology. 

  • 4
    Registered User commented
    Comment actions Permalink

    More items because i don't see any reason to do some archeology if the amount of items available are little

  • 3
    Registered User commented
    Comment actions Permalink
    •  I would like you to add more colorful vase pieces (more or less the same as we saw in MinecraftLive 2020). 
    • I would also like that we would find specific pieces of vases depending on the biome (Example: these pieces that were just added we would only find in the desert biome)
  • 1
    Registered User commented
    Comment actions Permalink

    The crafting recipe for the brush is . . . weird (no offense), but could have been better if the recipe was one stick, a copper ingot on top, and 3 feathers horizontally on top of copper ingot. I think it could be better because it gives more uses to copper other than building, spyglass, and lighting rod; and it could be similar to the original materials back at Minecraft Live 2020.

  • 1
    Registered User commented
    Comment actions Permalink

    Add rubies to the game, which would serve as a kind of coin for new villagers archaeologists, it would be a unique and new idea for archaeology! Hide it in suspicious sands, and make the new villagers archaeologists exchange for rare pieces and items.

  • 1
    Registered User commented
    Comment actions Permalink

    I would expect sinffer eggs to also be found when we dig or brush away suspicious sand, dirt, gravel, it would make perfect sense for sniffer eggs to be found when we brush too. all we know is that the sniffers were a pack of ancient dinosaurs

  • 0
    Registered User commented
    Comment actions Permalink

    'Suspicious' blocks should appear in more places and be slightly more intuitive to locate and differentiate.

    Previous structures like ancient cities, underwater ruins, jungle temples, mineshafts, and strongholds could really benefit from having archeological sites both to have more areas to be found and to add more to existing structures than having new ones.

    The amount of shards feels lacking.

    The creation of other storage mediums like stone chests/pottery like in the ancient city concept art would help make archaeology attractive to all types of players.

  • 1
    Registered User commented
    Comment actions Permalink

    I really like the pot smashing mechanic introduced with the decorated pots, and it reminds me a lot of a lost ancient city concept. I think this is the perfect opportunity to bring it back in a sense.

    I think since we now have pots and they can be smashed, they should be able to store a single type of item inside them. Storing an item would be as simple as right-clicking on the pot while holding the item, and up to a stack of that item can be placed inside. The only way to remove the item(s) is smashing the pot. Picking up the pot without smashing it will keep the item inside, similar to a shulker box. This could also allow for things to be planted in the new pots like the flower pots, as placing a type of plant inside could display the plant coming out of the top.

    Along with this, ancient city generation should be changed to include pots scattered around that can have valuable items inside, and can also spawn with pottery shards in them (maybe even an exclusive one!). They should generate much more randomly than the chests, being in areas you otherwise wouldn't want to go to like pathways and the center portal. This would encourage exploration of the entire city, not just the areas with chests in them.

    To go along with this idea, it'd be great if pots could also be dyed. The deep dark pots would of course be dyed gray to fit in with the ancient city color scheme. I'd also love to see pots generate naturally in other structures as a cool looting alternative to chests!

  • 0
    Registered User commented
    Comment actions Permalink

    A few suggestions I've come up with and I'm sure a lot of others have:

    - Add random drops within pre-generated pots when broken (Gunpowder, string, emerald, broken tools)

    - Allow players to store one or two items inside the pot. Using it as a form of storage. (Stack of one item?)

    - Crafting recipe for Brush should be changed to give copper another use. (Stick, copper, feather/string)

    - Addition of a flower, dragon, warden, villager, creeper, or horse design for pots.

    - Rename suspicious sand to Loose Sand, soft sand, or fine sand.

    - New mini structure(s) in the desert for archeology. (similar to dungeons but in the desert, tells a story of a small civilization that lived alongside ancient cities in the deep dark. This could give a new design of pots used in the ancient city.)

    - Add the use of fossils in Mesa or desert biomes.

    - Add pots inside mineshafts, ancient cities, strongholds, desert temples, jungle temples, shipwrecks, or dungeons.

    - Water loggable pots.

    - Specific Pottery Shards can be found inside chests exclusive to specific structures.

    - Introduction of statue blocks or structures. (As a block, it may work similarly with pots, shards can be put together with statues OR they can be restored via another method.)

    - Introduction of copper tools. (Just as weak as gold tools.)

    - Implementing more use of copper to show the passage of time for structures.

    - New vase block, skinnier than a normal pot shown within the snapshot. Used to store plants? (Used for ancient plants possibly.)

  • 1
    Registered User commented
    Comment actions Permalink

    those pots, man, it looks beautiful, but it would like more content

  • 1
    Registered User commented
    Comment actions Permalink

    System is beautiful in every way, I just wish bones, fossils for us to excavate were added. After all, we know that the main things excavated in real life are bones... (It doesn't necessarily have to be dinosaur fossils, it could be other animals, including pigs, cows, chickens...

  • 1
    Registered User commented
    Comment actions Permalink

    If my vision has not been deceived, do we have a design of a ruby ​​on the pots? So since we have the reference, why don't we put the Minecraft Earth ruby, we bring it in just like we brought the Shining Squid. There are endless possibilities of uses for the ruby, but we can mention briefly: exchange currency more valuable than the emerald, new ore for armor, and tools and maybe even to make a new item that is made with the ore (as well as the para- spokes is made with copper)...

  • 0
    Registered User commented
    Comment actions Permalink

    Making a separate breakable pot would be really cool !
    A lot of adventure games uses pots to hide bits of loot in so it'd be nice to be able to create pots you could store loot in and break using ranged or melee weapons. I think it'd be better to have these as a separate item to avoid accidentally breaking decorations 😅
    BUT imagine being able to shoot an arrow at a pot maybe hanging from a chain and loot falls... Or even just being able to store maybe 3 slots worth of items in a pot... Would be very cool with adventure maps or adding story in worlds