Archeology is making a comeback with the Minecraft 1.20 update

What you need to know

• The next major Minecraft update is the still-unnamed 1.20 release, coming later this year.
• On Friday, Mojang Studios announced the latest feature to join the Minecraft 1.20 update.
• The archeology feature set is finally leaving delay purgatory, and has been revealed in all its redesigned glory.
• Archeology in Minecraft includes new blocks, mechanics, and a brand-new tool with the brush.

Those heavily invested in the Minecraft universe may hold onto bittersweet memories of archeology, an ambitious set of features and mechanics that was initially announced years ago, then subsequently delayed twice until it seemingly vanished into the ether. On Friday, Mojang Studios revealed that archeology is far from dead, and it’s closer than we think.

Archeology is officially coming to players alongside the Minecraft 1.20 update, bringing with it new mechanics, blocks, tools, and more. Originally announced alongside the massive Caves & Cliffs Update, archeology was indefinitely delayed, with no clear indication that it would ever return. Now, we know that archeology was simply spending some much-needed time being redesigned and tweaked.

Archeology gives Minecraft players another reason to explore the desert biome, perhaps on the back of their trusty Camel mob. Surrounding Desert Temples may be patches of suspicious sand blocks, which can be swept away using the new brush tool to reveal hidden tools and tools. Players can also discover elusive Sniffer eggs, which can hatch into the brand-new Sniffer mob, as well as new pottery shards. Pottery shards contain partial patterns, and players can combine four of these pottery shards into a unique, decorative pot.