How to Master the New Archaeology Feature in Minecraft 1.20

Minecraft 1.20, the Trails & Tales update, is a great update that adds a lot of new features and content to the game. One of the most exciting features is archaeology, which allows you to dig up ancient artifacts and treasures from the past. In this article, I will show you how to master the new archaeology feature in Minecraft 1.20, and what rewards you can get from it.

What is Archaeology in Minecraft 1.20?

As the name suggests, archaeology is a brand new set of features in Minecraft 1.20, which brings ancient blocks, items, and even a new mob to the game. Unlike existing lootable structures, the best of archaeology makes you work hard and carefully to collect ancient artifacts and rewards.

Archaeology introduces two new types of blocks: suspicious sand and suspicious gravel. These blocks can be found in certain structures, such as desert pyramids, desert wells, ocean ruins, and trail ruins. These structures are generated randomly in the world, and contain clues and secrets about the lost civilizations of Minecraft.

To dig up these blocks, you need a new tool: the brush. The brush can be crafted with two sticks and a feather. The brush allows you to gently remove the top layer of suspicious sand or gravel, and reveal what is hidden inside. You can find a variety of items, such as pottery shards, random objects, emeralds, diamonds, sniffer eggs, armor trims, or even a relic music disc.

Pottery shards are special items that have different patterns on them. There are 20 different variants of pottery shards, and each one tells a unique story. You can use four pottery shards or items to craft a clay pot on a pottery wheel. The clay pot can then be fired in a furnace to create a decorated pot. The decorated pot will have the patterns of the shards or items that you used to craft it. You can use these pots to decorate your builds or display your collections.

Random objects are items that have no use in the game, but are interesting to collect. They include things like old coins, broken swords, ancient books, or mysterious maps. You can use these objects to create your own stories or role-play scenarios.

Sniffer eggs are rare items that can hatch into sniffer mobs. Sniffers are cute creatures that can help you find more suspicious blocks or hidden chests in the world. They have a keen sense of smell and will follow any scent trails that they find. You can tame and train them with bones or fish.

Armor trims are decorative items that can be used to customize your armor. There are four different types of armor trims: gold, silver, copper, and iron. You can apply an armor trim to any piece of armor by using an anvil. The armor trim will add a shiny border to your armor piece, making it look more stylish and valuable.

Relic music disc is a rare item that can be played in a jukebox. It is a special music disc that contains an original song composed by C418. The song is called “Relic”, and it has a mysterious and haunting melody that fits the theme of archaeology.

How to Master Archaeology in Minecraft 1.20?

Now that you know what archaeology is and what you can find from it, here are some tips and tricks on how to master it in Minecraft 1.20:

1. Be careful when digging suspicious blocks. If you break them with any other tool than the brush, they will be destroyed and you will lose the loot inside. Also, if you dig too fast or too deep with the brush, you might damage the items inside. So take your time and be gentle with your brush strokes.
2. Explore different biomes and structures. Different biomes and structures have different types of suspicious blocks and loot inside them. For example, desert pyramids have more suspicious sand than gravel, and ocean ruins have more aquatic-themed items than land-based ones. So try to visit as many places as possible to find more variety and diversity in your archaeological discoveries.
3. Use sniffer mobs to your advantage. Sniffer mobs are very useful companions for archaeologists. They can help you locate more suspicious blocks or hidden chests in the world. They will also alert you if there is any danger nearby, such as hostile mobs or traps. To tame a sniffer mob, you need to hatch a sniffer egg first. Sniffer eggs are very rare and can only be found by brushing suspicious sand in warm ocean ruins. Once you have a sniffer egg, place it near some water and wait for it to hatch. Then feed it some bones or fish to make it trust you. You can also use a lead to leash it and take it with you.
4. Collect and craft pottery shards. Pottery shards are one of the most common and interesting items that you can find from archaeology. They have different patterns on them that tell unique stories and make for very decorative accents in your builds. You can use four pottery shards or items to craft a clay pot on a pottery wheel. The pottery wheel is a new block that can be found in trail ruins or crafted with four clay balls and a stick. To use the pottery wheel, place it on the ground and right-click it with a pottery shard or item in your hand. You can rotate the wheel by holding right-click and moving your mouse. You can also change the shape of the pot by scrolling your mouse wheel. Once you are happy with your pot design, take it off the wheel and place it in a furnace to fire it. The fired pot will have the patterns of the shards or items that you used to craft it. You can place the pot on any surface and admire your creation.
5. Customize your armor with armor trims. Armor trims are another way to make your character stand out in Minecraft 1.20. They are decorative items that can be used to add a shiny border to your armor pieces, making them look more stylish and valuable. There are four types of armor trims: gold, silver, copper, and iron. You can find them by brushing suspicious gravel in trail ruins. To apply an armor trim to an armor piece, you need to use an anvil. Place the armor piece and the armor trim in the anvil slots, and rename the armor piece if you want. The result will be an armor piece with a shiny border that matches the color of the armor trim. You can do this for any type of armor, including leather, chainmail, iron, gold, diamond, or netherite.
6. Play the relic music disc in a jukebox. The relic music disc is one of the rarest and most rewarding items that you can find from archaeology. It is a special music disc that contains an original song composed by C418. The song is called “Relic”, and it has a mysterious and haunting melody that fits the theme of archaeology. You can find the relic music disc by brushing suspicious gravel in trail ruins. To play the relic music disc, you need a jukebox. The jukebox is a block that can be crafted with eight planks and a diamond. Place the jukebox on the ground and right-click it with the relic music disc in your hand. The jukebox will start playing the song, and you can enjoy the atmospheric sound of archaeology.

Conclusion

Archaeology is a fantastic feature that adds a lot of depth and fun to Minecraft 1.20. It allows you to dig up ancient artifacts and treasures from the past, and use them to create your own stories and builds. You can also customize your character with new clothing items, hairstyles, accessories, emotes, and animations. Whether you are a casual player or a hardcore fan, archaeology is something that you should definitely try out in Minecraft 1.20.