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Let's talk about Archeology!

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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.

 

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  • 30
    Registered User commented
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    pls change crafting recipe to be 1 stick 1 copper ingot and 1 feather in this array

    Blank         Blank           1 feather

    Blank   1 Copper Ingot   Blank

    1 stick        Blank            Blank

     

    also pls allow dying to decorative pots as it allows us to create more stories in our worlds with them and it only makes sense that they are dyable since they are made from clay which can make terracotta which is dyable

  • 23
    Registered User commented
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    We definitely need Suspicious Dirt and Gravel. These could easily be added to digsites in Jungle Temples, Ocean Ruins, and Strongholds.

  • 34
    Registered User commented
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    Lower the archaeological room in the pyramid 1 block down so that the pillars do not float in the air after excavation.

  • 16
    Registered User commented
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    I think it would be fun if another artifact you could dig up in archeology could be little mob statues. They would be 1 block tall ancient statues of different mobs like creepers, husks, and other mobs that you could decorate your builds with. There could maybe be different statues to dig up depending on the dig site. Maybe there could even be an option to swap the heads and body of the statues to make them more customizable like a husk statue with a creeper head.

  • 33
    Registered User commented
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    We should be able to put flowers in these! They would look amazing!

  • 15
    Registered User commented
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    Archaeology at this stage is too simple in mechanics. In the presentation of 2020, it was shown that with sloppy work, you can break a block with an object. I suggest introducing it here - now, you have to make sure that the item is EXACTLY coming out of the block. All this will depend on the side in which you dig it: conditionally, you can dig it on the right, but it can only get out if you dig on the left. Otherwise, you will simply destroy the item inside. Therefore, it is advisable to walk through the block on each side (except the bottom edge) to understand exactly where to dig.

    It also seems to me that for a deserted temple, you need to make several secret rooms with suspicious sand, which will randomly replace each other from structure to structure. For example, in one temple we see a standard staircase to the right of the entrance, in the far corner of the room, but in the second temple this room will be located under one of the turrets. Thus, the player will carefully inspect the entire structure.

    And finally, I believe that the mechanics of archaeology can also fit well into the following structures: 
    1) Jungle temple --> Suspicious gravel ---> patterns of ocelot, bat, watermelon, sun; 
    2) Underwater ruins --> Suspicious sand/gravel ---> patterns of fish, Guardian, waves, portal to Nether;  
    4) The remains of Bastions ---> Swollen  Netherrack---> symbols of piglins, maliciously frowning eyes, a shiny block, a mushroom; a new kind of vases from Netherrack

  • 5
    Registered User commented
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    It's nice to finally have archeology in the game. Although what I expected was to make the pots directly from clay and that I would have to add the pieces that I found in the suspicious sands. Putting brick items or the 4 fragments on the creation table takes away from gameplay and leaves me wanting to see that "a pot is being made".

    Only that, that pot creation "beta" returns.

    And hope the structure that was seen previously in that minecraft live also will be added to a next snapshot.

  • 13
    Registered User commented
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    Now I want to touch the vases because they have great potential:
    1) Bring back the old way of making vases from the 2020 presentation: first you make a vase mold from six clay balls, then you put ceramic shards into this mold, and then fry on fire. This way of making you seems more exciting and time-consuming.


    2) Make several shapes for you, in addition to the current one: a vase as from the 2020 presentation; a small vase similar to a clay pot; an elongated vase, as from the concepts of an Ancient city, etc.


    3) Practical application for vases - with Hopper you can put up to a stack of various items (as with bundles), but no one can find out what is stored inside it. The only way to get the items is to break the vase.


    4) Allow to make inserts of different colors in vases using various metals (iron, copper, diamonds) similar to what we currently have with armor.


    5) Vases have physics, and can break if they fall from a height of more than 1 block.

  • 7
    Registered User commented
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    please bring the old pots from 2020 back🙏

  • 22
    Registered User commented
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    Dig sites should also be found in structures such as:

    • Ancient Cities
    • Bastion Remnants (stable)
    • Dungeons
    • Igloos (basement)
    • Jungle Temples
    • Mineshafts (dirt room)
    • Mossy Boulders (from mega taiga)
    • Ocean Ruins
    • Pillager Outposts (new basement area)
    • Ruined Portals
    • Shipwrecks (beached)
    • Strongholds (fountain)
    • Woodland Mansion (secret room)
  • 16
    Registered User commented
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    The recipe for a clean decorative pot should appear in the recipe book.

  • 4
    Registered User commented
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    Recipes for decorative pots (with one type of ceramic shards) should appear in the recipe book.

  • 22
    Registered User commented
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    good to introduce copper nuggets -

    1. something to dig up

    2. for the crafting recipe of the brush

    (3. for copper lantern)

    (4. it just makes sense imo)

  • 8
    Registered User commented
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    The neck of decorative pots should be wider by one pixel in each direction.

  • 9
    Registered User commented
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    Archeology looks like it's going to be an awesome mechanic within the game. Exploring the snapshot, I felt really excited when I discovered the new hidden room in the desert temple. It was awesome to feel like I was uncovering some ancient secret ruins and carefully brushing away the sand to reveal them. However, in it's current condition, an archeological dig can only happen in this same room, or the desert well - two places where a dig site is always guaranteed, and always the same - which will quickly become stale.

    I know you are searching for feedback or ideas for new places archeology could be used. I think it would be fantastic if there were a variety of buried desert ruin types that could be found across the desert. Like in the original announcement trailer, this would encourage the player to venture across the desert (maybe on a camel!) keeping an eye out for suspicious sand, or maybe some ancient ruins poking out of the ground. Then, the player could set up a camp and begin slowly uncovering the ruins and unearthing all the treasures within. This could be similar to the way underwater ruins are - a variety of small to medium structures, but buried in the sandy layer of the desert. This would further encourage exploration and would make archeology a much more enriching experience.

    In the future, archeology could be expanded to other biomes and ruins, like the jungle, mesa, or under the sea. I'm excited to see how this feature will turn out!

  • 6
    Registered User commented
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    you should find bones and rotten flesh (or even zombie heads) while digging in the sand next to the desert pyramids

    (to make the loottable a bit more balanced)

    (the egyptians buried there dead people in the sand near there huge buildings)

  • 9
    Registered User commented
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    My biggest suggestions for improvement:

    There should be more unique loot to archaeology (this is probably quite obvious, but it is still important).

    Each structure where archaeological finds exist should have its own unique loot tables. This is so that players have a basis to come up with theories for the history of each structure.

    The brush should have more use-cases other than only brushing sus sand. Maybe it could turn blocks into their polished versions, turn cracked blocks into their un-cracked versions, make it so it guarantees a drop when used on blocks like leaves, etc. This would make it more likely for new players to learn what its purpose is, and would in turn make them more likely to use it on sus sand.

  • 8
    Registered User commented
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    In regards to the new pots: I love these blocks as a new customizable decoration. They have fantastic potential and could be made even better with just a few changes!

    In the initial announcement for archeology, we were shown a player placing pottery shards onto a pot and then physically firing the pot. This method of creating pots would likely be more engaging and immersive to the player than just another crafting recipe. However, I do understand that there might reasons for changing this initial method to a crafting recipe.

    Additionally, I hope there will be a larger variety of pottery shard types added. Currently there are just four, meaning if different players wanted to create a pot with 4 unique sides, they would always be the same. One of the goals for this update and the pots are self expression and storytelling, and I think having a wider selection of shards to choose from allows for better self expression, and more ways to tell stories written on the pots!

  • 16
    Registered User commented
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    I think archeology has a lot of potential to engage with structures in new ways, but I don't feel like the current implementation adds much to the way players go about interacting with structures. Having suspicious sand only spawn in a very small, consistent, location within both desert temples and wells, ends up making engaging with archeology a quick and repetitive experience (which is already a common criticism with many overworld structures). This is especially true in desert temples, where it seems a specific room was added to exclusively house suspicious sand. In it's current form, archeology just doesn't feel like the player is excavating 

    If suspicious sand was instead spawned in the area around these structures (instead of specific locations within them) it might create a gameplay experience that has more longevity and separates itself more from the mentality of looting. 

    I personally love the idea of giving more depth to structures and ways to interact with them. Having a reason to excavate around or near a structure would be a neat little activity that might prompt players to set up a camp near or within the structure itself. I'm just worried in its current form, archeology will end up being a 2 minute box players feel a need to check whenever they find a structure. 

  • 5
    Registered User commented
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    In my gameplay i only found like, three suspicious sands, and in the desert pyramid i found none, but i noticed some sand patches in the pyramid, IF the sus sands are randomized, maybe consider increasing the rates of the sus sand? 

    Also, the brush craft it's a bit common, i think using copper and feathers would add a bit more value to those items! 

    Please consider adding more places that the suspicious sand spawn, deserts are a cool idea, but it makes them REALLY rare, and being able to enter creative mode and using locate and finding only three it's pretty boring. The excavation sounds and feature looks dope tho!

  • 4
    Registered User commented
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    I think it would be cool to see different pot colours. You could craft the 4 pottery shards around a block of terracotta and the terracotta sets the pots base colour.

  • 6
    Registered User commented
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    I think the placing system should be changed, more for like slapping them on, or have an uncooked one, but it on, cook it, boom. A Dev had the argument "we didnt want to do that bcuz how could a new player ever know that", however the entire archeology system counteracts that, you have to know where to go, what to look for, and how to do it. and the crafting recipe isn't obvious with that and I think just popping it on makes more sense. It would also make the gameplay of archeology just a bit more interesting.

  • 31
    Registered User commented
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    There should be more places to find dig sites other than the desert. Underwater ruins would be a good place to find things, and perhaps most biomes could get their own small ruins similar to desert wells?

  • 2
    Registered User commented
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    Overall I really like its implementation, and although I wish there were more incentives for other types of players than just builders to do some archeology. I like how the new pots look, but I personally am not very fond of the changes made to how they work. I'm fine with shards now being patterns for a full side of the block rather than a full story you can put on the pot, it is mainly another change I am not very fond of.

    I think it is a shame the baking part of the pottery process seen in mc live when archeology was first announced is removed. It made it feel like real pottery. As a child I used to make things using a clay a lot, and seeing what I make be baked was one of the things that got me the most excited about it.

    I get that new players would have no way of knowing how this system would work, but that goes for the entire archeology system, really, so I'm not seeing how the entire system would get a free pass on that but not pottery.

  • 1
    Registered User commented
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    Hello! It looks amazing so far! I think if you were to add it to Jungle Temples or another location in the future, then maybe it could be a different color of pot to reflect the area. For example- if you have shards in the sea, they can be the cyan terracotta or a closer to a prismarine color or if they were in the jungle, then it can be more of a brown in color.
    Another idea is to add terracotta block to the recipe if people want the pots a different color.  

  • 6
    Registered User commented
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    They could put more objects to get with the brush and new excavation sites in the new biome. They could also add more pieces with new drawings for the vessels. Or they could add a new ear that can only be achieved with archaeology.

  • 1
    Registered User commented
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    There needs to be strong negative reinforcement for breaking suspicious sand. One of the strongest ways I can think of is possibly an achievement called "destructive behavior" for breaking suspicious sand or sifting improperly. It would be a great way to scream "no!" to naive players

  • 3
    Registered User commented
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    Pots are great, but they're pretty shallow, there's not much depth to them. Firstly, undecorated pots should be stackable, I don't understand why they're not. Pots should be able to be in all of the 16 colours, there is already 16 colours of terracotta, which is the same material as the pots. Making them dyable just adds a ton of more customisation to them. Flowers should be able to be placed in pots just like flower pots. 

    The brush recipe is well, not the best, there is copper in the texture, and we have wanted a new use for copper since its release, so why is a copper ingot not in the recipe? And the string should be replaced by feathers, as that makes more sense.

    Suspicious dirt and gravel should be added. With only suspicious sand, the only other dig site that could be added is warm ocean ruins. I'd love if more structures such as jungle temples and mineshafts (the dirt room) were made into dig sites as well.

    Otherwise, everything is pretty great, the textures of everything is beautiful, the new room in desert pyramids is great, I love that the loot tables are different depending on the structure. Great stuff, just needs some more.

  • 1
    Registered User commented
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    For now it's a bit poor as a feature, it would be nice if you made the brush craftable with even a copper ingot and added new shards in the suspicious sand.

  • 4
    Registered User commented
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    I think the pots as they are are missing some color, and I'd really like to be able to color them! Perhaps a terracotta block in the middle of the crafting recipe could change the color.

    Additionally, I kinda miss cooking the pots with fire. IMO it's not a big deal but I did prefer that system over using a crafting table!

    Finally, pots with some of the sides blank and some of the sides decorated just look really off.