How to Find and Excavate Underwater Fossils

Finding Fossils

Underwater fossils are one of the mod's structure types and spawn on the seafloor, often partially buried in gravel, sand, or clay. They are easiest to spot from above in clear, shallow water, so scout by swimming near the surface and looking down. A Night Vision potion helps in murky or deep water. Because they can be partly covered, watch for bone blocks or unusual shapes poking out of the seabed.

Excavating Them

Once located, dig carefully. Fossils are made of bone blocks and related materials, so a normal pickaxe is fine, but if you want the blocks intact for decoration, use Silk Touch. Clear the surrounding sediment first so you can see the full shape and avoid breaking pieces you want to keep. Bring Water Breathing and Depth Strider so the dig does not stall. Fossils often sit in open water, which means drowned variants can wander in — clear the area or work inside a Conduit's radius. Collect all bone blocks and any chests or hidden caches tucked among the bones. If the fossil is large, mark it and return with shulker boxes so you can haul the whole thing home.