5 Things to know about Trail Ruins in Minecraft 1.20

Minecraft is a game that always keeps evolving and adding new features and content. One of the most anticipated updates of the game is the 1.20 update, also known as the Trails and Tales update. It will introduce a new feature called archeology, allowing players to explore and uncover the secrets of the past by digging up and brushing away suspicious blocks. Along with this feature, a new type of structure will be added to the game called trail ruins.

In this article, we will cover everything you need to know about trail ruins, from their appearance and location to their loot. We will also explain how to access them and what to expect from them. If you are curious about this new feature of Minecraft's new update and want to learn more about it, read on!

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Everything to know about Trail Ruins in Minecraft 1.20

1) What are trail ruins?

Trail ruins have most of their structure hidden underground, with only the tip exposed above the ground. They resemble small, ancient settlements that have been abandoned and buried over time. They are composed of different blocks, such as cobblestone, stone, stone bricks, terracotta, glazed terracotta, mud bricks, dirt, coarse dirt, gravel, and suspicious gravel.

Suspicious gravel is a special block that can be found in trail ruins and other archeology sites. It looks like normal gravel, but it has a chance to contain hidden items that can be revealed by using a brush on it. These items can be pottery shards, copper coins, emeralds, diamonds, or even rare artifacts.

Trail ruins are linked to the new archeology feature introduced in the 1.20 update of Minecraft. This feature allows players to explore and uncover the secrets of the past by digging up and brushing away suspicious blocks. Players can also craft pottery from clay and decorate it with different patterns using pottery shards.

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2) Where can you find trail ruins?

The trail ruins are underground structures with only the tip above the ground (Image via Mojang)

Trail ruins can be found in several Minecraft biomes that have a temperate, cold, or snowy climate. These biomes are :

• Jungle
• Old Growth Birch Forest
• Old Growth Pine Taiga
• Old Growth Spruce Taiga
• Snowy Taiga
• Taiga

You can find trail ruins on land or underwater, usually close to a river, an aquifer, or an ocean. They are not very common and may require some exploration to find them.

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3) How do trail ruins look like?

The full structure of trail ruins (Image via Mojang)

Trail ruins have a distinctive appearance that sets them apart from other structures in Minecraft. Each trail ruin consists of a main road made of cobblestone, stone, and stone bricks. This connects multiple small buildings and a central tower made of terracotta and glazed terracotta. The tower is the most visible part of the structure, as it usually sticks out above the ground level.

The small buildings adjacent to the tower are made of mud bricks and terracotta. They have different shapes and sizes, such as square, rectangular, or L-shaped. Some of them also have roofs made of stairs or slabs.

The structure is mostly hidden under gravel, dirt, coarse dirt, and suspicious gravel. These blocks can be dug up or brushed away to reveal more parts of the structure or hidden items. In Bedrock Edition of Minecraft, trail ruins generate much more exposure on the surface compared to Java Edition.

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4) What can you get from trail ruins?

Use a brush on suspicious gravel to get shards and items (Image via Mojang)

Trail ruins are a great place to find rare and useful items to enhance your Minecraft gameplay. Apart from the items that can be obtained from suspicious gravel, such as pottery shards, coins, or artifacts, trail ruins also contain four specific armor trim smithing templates that can be used to upgrade your armor with a smithing table.

These templates are:

1. Wayfinder Armor Trim Smithing Template
2. Shaper Armor Trim Smithing Template
3. Host Armor Trim Smithing Template
4. Raiser Armor Trim Smithing Template

These templates are exclusive to trail ruins and cannot be obtained elsewhere. They can give your armor styles and designs.

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5) How can you access trail ruins?

Trail ruins are the only source of naturally spawning mud bricks (Image via Mojang)

Trail ruins are still a work in progress and may change in future updates. They were introduced in the Minecraft's 23w12a snapshot for Java Edition and require enabling experimental gameplay in Bedrock Edition. They may also have some bugs or issues that need to be fixed.

To access trail ruins in Java Edition, download and install the latest snapshot from the Minecraft launcher. Then you need to create a new world or load an existing one with the snapshot version selected.

To access trail ruins in Bedrock Edition, you need to enable experimental gameplay in the game settings menu. Then you must create a new world or load an existing one with experimental gameplay enabled.

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Trail ruins are an amazing addition to Minecraft that offers a new way to explore and discover the history of the world. They are also a great source of rare and useful items to improve your gameplay. If you want to experience them for yourself, you can try out the latest snapshot or enable experimental gameplay and start digging!