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Better Archeology Wiki & Guide

Java EditionMod

Expands archaeology with fossils, artifact shards, brushes, an archeology table, vases, and excavation-related blocks.

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Contents (11)
  1. Guides
  2. Processes
  3. Items
  4. Blocks
  5. Mobs
  6. Enchantments
  7. Advancements
  8. Configuration
  9. Frequently asked questions
  10. Related mods

Guides

Step-by-step, in-game.

How to Assemble Fossils from Skulls and BodiesThe fossil pieces This mod adds fossils for several creatures, including Chicken, Creeper, Guardian, Ocelot, and…How to Build with Rotten Wood BlocksThe rotten wood set The mod adds a full family of Rotten wood blocks: Rotten Log , Rotten Planks , Rotten Stairs ,…How to Craft and Use the Different BrushesWhy brush tier matters Brushing is the core action of this mod, and brushes wear out. The mod offers Iron, Diamond,…How to Find and Excavate Suspicious Dirt and Fossiliferous DirtLocating the dig sites Suspicious Dirt and Fossiliferous Dirt are the two diggable blocks this mod adds. They…How to Handle Rusty Bombs and Evoker Traps SafelyWhat these hazards are Rusty Bomb is a mob listed by the mod, and Evoker Trap is a block. Both are dangers tied to…How to Use the Archeology Table to Restore Artifact ShardsWhat the table is for Artifact Shards are fragments, not finished items. The Archeology Table is the workstation that…

Recipes

Every recipe the mod adds, grouped by how it is made.

Crafting · 22minecraft:stonecutting · 2minecraft:smelting · 1minecraft:smithing_transform · 1

Items

Artifact ShardsDiamond BrushIron BrushMusic DiscNetherite BrushRusty BombTotem of SoulsTotem of TorrentsUnidentified Artifact

Blocks

ACEFGIORSTVW

A

Ancient Vase (Loot)Ancient Vase (Loot Green)Ancient VaseAncient Vase (Loot Creeper)Ancient Vase (Creeper)Ancient Vase (Green)Archeology Table

C

Chicken-FossilChicken-Fossil BodyChicken-Fossil SkullChiseled Bone BlockCracked Mud Brick SlabCracked Mud Brick StairsCracked Mud BricksCreeper-FossilCreeper-Fossil BodyCreeper-Fossil Skull

E

Evoker Trap

F

Fossiliferous Dirt

G

Guardian-FossilGuardian-Fossil BodyGuardian-Fossil Skull

I

Infested Mud Bricks

O

Ocelot-FossilOcelot-Fossil BodyOcelot-Fossil Skull

R

Rotten DoorRotten FenceRotten Fence GateRotten LogRotten PlanksRotten Pressure PlateRotten SlabRotten StairsRotten Trapdoor

S

Sheep-FossilSheep-Fossil BodySheep-Fossil SkullSuspicious DirtSuspicious Red Sand

T

Totem of GrowthTotem of Radiance

V

Villager-FossilVillager-Fossil BodyVillager-Fossil Skull

W

Wolf-FossilWolf-Fossil BodyWolf-Fossil Skull

Mobs

Creatures this mod adds.

Rusty Bomb

Enchantments

Enchantments this mod adds.

Penetrating StrikePartially ignores effects of Protection Enchantments
Soaring WindsHarnesses winds to give a startup-boost when using an Elytra
TunnelingAlso breaks the Block below the mined block. Hold [SHIFT] to disable effects

Advancements

Advancements this pack adds, and how to earn them.

Kaboom?Yes Rico, Kaboom

Configuration

Every setting in the mod config file, with what it changes.

OptionWhat it does
chickenFossilEffectsEnabled'Chicken Fossil' Effects
diamondBrushTickRate'Diamond Brush' Brushing Tickrate
guardianFossilEffectsEnabled'Guardian Fossil' Effects
ironBrushTickRate'Iron Brush' Brushing Tickrate
netheriteBrushTickRate'Netherite Brush' Brushing Tickrate
ocelotFossilEffectsEnabled'Ocelot Fossil' Effects
fossilFleeRange'Ocelot'/'Wolf Fossil' Flee Range
penetratingStrikeEnabled'Penetrating Strike' Effects
penetratingStrikeIgnorance'Penetrating Strike' Prot. Ignorance
rustyBombTerrainDamage'Rusty Bomb' Terrain Damage
soaringWindsBoost'Soaring Winds' Boost Strength
soaringWindsEnabled'Soaring Winds' Effects
growthTotemEnabled'Totem of Growth' Effects
growthTotemGrowChance'Totem of Growth' Grow Chance
growthTotemGrowRadius'Totem of Growth' Radius
radianceTotemDamage'Totem of Radiance' Damage
radianceTotemDamageTickAverage'Totem of Radiance' Damage Cooldown
radianceTotemDamageEnabled'Totem of Radiance' Damaging
radianceTotemEnabled'Totem of Radiance' Effects
radianceTotemRadius'Totem of Radiance' Radius
soulTotemEnabled'Totem of Souls' Effects
torrentTotemBoost'Totem of Torrents' Boost Strength
torrentTotemEnabled'Totem of Torrents' Effects
torrentTotemUpwardsBoost'Totem of Torrents' Upwards Boosting

See all 32 settings →

Frequently asked questions

How do I start with Better Archeology?
Craft a brush (iron is the basic tier), then look for Suspicious Dirt and Fossiliferous Dirt in your world. Brush these blocks to unearth artifact shards, fossil pieces, and other archaeology loot.
Where do I find Suspicious Dirt and Fossiliferous Dirt?
Suspicious Dirt generates in archaeology-friendly spots similar to vanilla suspicious sand and gravel, while Fossiliferous Dirt is tied to fossil dig sites. Bring a brush and right-click the block repeatedly until it crumbles and drops its loot.
What do I do with artifact shards?
Take them to the Archeology Table and restore them into complete artifacts. The table is the main workstation for cleaning and reassembling shards you dig up.
How do I assemble a fossil?
Fossils come in separate Skull and Body pieces for each creature (chicken, creeper, guardian, ocelot, sheep). Combine the matching skull and body to form the complete fossil.
What is the difference between the Iron, Diamond, and Netherite Brush?
Higher-tier brushes are faster and/or more durable than the iron brush. Use the cheapest brush you can afford early and upgrade once you're excavating a lot.
My brush broke — how do I repair it?
Brushes are tools, so repair them the same way you'd repair other tools of their material (anvil or crafting grid with the matching material). Keep a spare on long dig trips.
How do I use the Archeology Table?
Place the Archeology Table and open it to restore artifact shards into finished artifacts. It's the dedicated station for this mod's shard-restoration process.
What are Rusty Bombs and Evoker Traps, and are they dangerous?
Rusty Bombs are explosive mobs/blocks you'll encounter around excavation sites, and Evoker Traps are trap blocks that trigger when disturbed. Approach dig sites carefully, disarm or avoid them before brushing nearby blocks.
What can I build with Rotten wood blocks?
Rotten Logs, Planks, Slabs, Stairs, Fences, Fence Gates, Doors, Trapdoors, and Pressure Plates form a full decorative wood set. They're great for ruined, overgrown, or abandoned builds.
Does Better Archeology work with other mods, and will it hurt performance?
It's a content mod adding blocks, items, and a few mobs, so it generally plays fine alongside other mods and shouldn't noticeably affect performance. If you run many worldgen mods, expect the usual chunk-generation cost from extra dig sites.