Archeology in Minecraft 1.20 update: Everything revealed so far

Mojang recently announced that Minecraft’s long-awaited archeology feature would be incorporated into the game with the upcoming 1.20 update. Archeology was teased in 2020 and has been a part of most Mojang livestreams and events since then.

With new gameplay shown at every turn, the Minecraft community was hopeful that the feature would be released with either the second part of the Caves and Cliffs Update or The Wild Update.

However, that was not to be. Archeology kept getting delayed and pushed to the “next” update, and the development team instead focused on new features like Camels, the Sniffer, and bamboo wood while continuing to refine the feature as well.

With the announcement confirming that archeology will indeed be released with the yet-unnamed Minecraft 1.20 update, here’s every feature that Mojang’s latest blog post announced today.

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Minecraft 1.20: All new features coming with archeology

In the blog post, Mojang studios specifically mentioned that the confirmed version of archeology would be the first of its kind. While this often denotes the presence of bugs, glitches, and other technical problems, the game's snapshot, beta, preview, and experiential visions help the community to actively help the development team fine-tune the update before its official release.

Players are thus advised to start preparing for the release of the aforementioned experimental versions.

According to Mojang, players will be required to venture into the desert biome when they’re ready to start exploring the new archeology feature. This is similar to pop culture depictions of the subject, although Mojang has previously shown a player excavating within a thick jungle biome.

After reaching a desert biome, Minecraft players or “M’archeologists,” as referred to by Mojang, must begin hunting for a new type of sand-based block. Known as “suspicious sand,” the block is typically found near desert temples.

As expected, players must use a shovel to dig the block up. However, they’re advised to be careful, as the area around a dig is brimming with all kinds of potential, archeological discoveries, and loot.

The studio has consistently explained that the purpose of Minecraft’s archeology system is not only to find valuable loot but to discover artifacts that blend together to form an ancient story.

This is why players must be gentle when excavating a dig site in Minecraft. Once a suspicious sandstone block has been unearthed, players must use a brush to carefully clean the area and reveal items like pottery shards, which allow them to make pots.

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The 1.20 update is shaping up to be an important addition to the game, as it brings many highly anticipated features along with some adorable mobs, useful plants, new methods of transportation, and blocks.

With talk of armor customization floating around and archeology thrown into the mix, players can expect something grand from Mojang when the new update finally releases.