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In ARK: Survival Evolved, artifacts are progression items found primarily in caves. You collect one by reaching its map-specific container, surviving the cave’s creatures and environmental hazards, and taking the artifact. Their main purpose is to serve as tributes for boss fights; the required artifacts and additional trophies depend on the boss, map, and difficulty. You can also display them on an Artifact Pedestal.

The reliable process is: identify the artifact required for your intended boss, find its cave or remote location on the correct map page, prepare for that route, loot and secure the artifact, then submit the complete tribute set at the appropriate obelisk or boss terminal. Artifact locations, carrying behavior, and respawn timing vary by map, game mode, server settings, and game version.

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What artifacts are and why they matter

Artifacts are unique progression items rather than ordinary resources. The ARK Official Community Wiki lists 21 artifacts in total, but no single map contains the same collection. Maps differ in which artifact types appear and how many are available. A name that is easy to obtain on one map may be absent, relocated, or replaced by a different route on another.

The normal acquisition route is a cave expedition. The official description notes that artifacts are typically located within caves, with occasional exceptions in remote or unusual places such as deep oceans and Wyvern lairs. That means a generic “artifact cave” list is not enough: you must match the artifact to your map and the boss encounter you intend to start.

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Artifacts have two practical uses:

  • Boss tributes: You place the required artifact or artifacts with creature trophies and any other required items at an obelisk or boss terminal.
  • Display trophies: You can place an artifact on an Artifact Pedestal, which presents it as a decorative collectible with distinctive display lighting.

They do not function as weapons, armor, ammunition, or crafting ingredients in the ordinary sense. Their value is progression: obtaining the correct set opens a boss encounter, while a spare can be kept for a later summon or displayed.

Find the correct artifact location for your map

Start with the boss, not the cave. Decide which boss and difficulty you want to attempt, then check that encounter’s tribute list for the exact artifacts required. Tribute requirements are not universal. They change by boss, map, and difficulty, and most maps require multiple different artifacts for a boss fight.

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After identifying the needed artifact, open the artifact or cave page for your specific map. The official cave index connects caves with their artifacts and provides the entrance and artifact coordinates. Use those pages for navigation rather than transferring coordinates from another map; the same artifact name can have a completely different route or may not exist on the map you are playing.

Normal cave locations

Most artifacts are inside caves. The entrance may be obvious on the surface or concealed in terrain, and the artifact container is usually deeper inside the cave rather than at the entrance. Plan for a complete route: reaching the cave is only the first part, and the return trip matters because losing the artifact before extraction wastes the run.

Remote and unusual locations

Some maps place artifacts outside a conventional dry cave. The documented exceptions include deep-ocean sites and Wyvern lairs. These locations change the preparation checklist substantially: you may need a water-capable mount, breathing and temperature protection, or a plan for flying and hostile aerial creatures. Treat the location category shown on the map page as a requirement, not a suggestion.

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Step-by-step: obtain an artifact safely

  1. Choose the target encounter. Record the boss, map, and difficulty. Read the tribute list before leaving your base so you know which artifact names and non-artifact trophies are required.
  2. Confirm the map-specific location. Use the map’s artifact or cave page to identify the cave entrance, artifact coordinates, and any route notes. Do not assume coordinates from another map or game mode apply to your server.
  3. Inspect the route’s hazards. Identify whether the path is dry, underwater, airborne, narrow, or exposed to extreme environmental conditions. Note where a mount can fit and where you may have to proceed on foot.
  4. Prepare equipment and a suitable tame. Bring protection and supplies appropriate to the cave’s environment and creatures. Choose a tame that can enter the passages, survive the expected threats, and help you retreat with the artifact.
  5. Secure an exit plan. Before entering, decide where you will regroup, how you will recover a dropped mount, and what you will do if the route is blocked. Carry only what you can afford to lose on the first reconnaissance run.
  6. Enter and follow the mapped route. Use the entrance coordinates as the starting point and navigate toward the artifact coordinates. Avoid unnecessary fights when the passage is tight or your return route could be compromised.
  7. Loot the artifact container. When you reach the marked location, interact with the container and verify that the artifact appears in your inventory. Do not rely on having merely reached the coordinates; confirm the item is actually carried.
  8. Leave before expanding the risk. Retrace the route or use the planned exit. Keep the artifact on the character or carrier you intend to bring safely out, and avoid beginning unrelated fights or resource runs on the way back.
  9. Store and verify it at base. Place the artifact in a secure storage location and compare its name with the boss tribute list. If it is the wrong artifact, you may have completed the cave successfully but still lack the item needed for your chosen encounter.
  10. Repeat only when necessary. Farm additional copies when another summon requires them, when a previous artifact was lost, or when you want a display copy.

Prepare for cave hazards before you enter

Artifact runs fail more often during the approach or retreat than at the container itself. Preparation should be based on the route’s actual hazards rather than on the artifact’s name.

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  • Environment: Check for water, extreme temperatures, vertical sections, darkness, and terrain that blocks a large tame. Carry the protection and mobility items appropriate to that environment.
  • Creatures: Read the cave notes for hostile creatures and decide whether your tame can fight, avoid, or outrun them. A mount that is powerful in open terrain may be unable to turn around in a narrow passage.
  • Navigation: Save the entrance and artifact coordinates separately. If the cave has branching passages, mark the route mentally or with your map so the exit is recognizable.
  • Inventory: Leave room for the artifact and avoid filling your inventory with items that increase the cost of a death. Carry recovery essentials, but do not turn a focused run into a general harvesting trip.
  • Recovery: Establish a bed, storage point, or other recovery plan near—but not in—the danger zone when your map and server rules permit it. The goal is to recover a lost mount or body without restarting the entire expedition.

The right tame is route-dependent. A cave with water sections demands different mobility from a dry cave with tight turns, and a Wyvern-lair artifact requires a different approach from an underground container. There is no single universally best artifact mount.

How carrying and respawn behavior works

Artifact handling has changed across ARK versions, and the official notes attach important qualifications to those changes. Treat the following as version- and mode-dependent behavior, especially on unofficial servers or modified settings.

Version note Documented behavior Practical effect
254.0 Human characters were changed so they could carry artifacts. You can complete a run on foot or move the artifact with your character instead of relying exclusively on a creature.
260.0 A 30-minute artifact respawn behavior was documented for single-player. After taking an artifact, wait for the documented single-player interval before expecting the container to be available again. Other modes or server settings may differ.
267.0 The Otter was introduced with the ability to carry multiple copies of the same artifact. An Otter can support repeated farming of one artifact type where your game version and rules allow it.

The 30-minute figure is not a universal server timer. It is a documented single-player behavior associated with the relevant version notes. Dedicated servers, unofficial configurations, difficulty settings, mods, and later updates can change the result. If a container has not returned, verify the active server configuration and version before assuming the cave is broken.

Use artifacts to summon a boss

Having one artifact does not automatically unlock a boss. A boss terminal checks a complete tribute set, and the set can include several artifacts plus creature trophies or other items.

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  1. Open the exact tribute list. Select the boss and difficulty you intend to fight, and write down every required artifact, trophy, and other tribute.
  2. Match each artifact by name. Similar-looking containers and names are not interchangeable. Confirm that every artifact in storage is the type listed for that boss and difficulty.
  3. Collect the non-artifact tributes. Boss requirements commonly include creature trophies or other map-specific items. The artifact run is only one part of the preparation.
  4. Travel to the correct terminal. Use the relevant obelisk or boss terminal for the encounter. A nearby terminal may offer different bosses or difficulties, so read its interface rather than depositing items blindly.
  5. Place the entire set in the tribute inventory. Add the artifacts and remaining required items. The interface should show whether the set is complete; if the summon option remains unavailable, remove and recheck each item.
  6. Select the boss and difficulty. Confirm the chosen difficulty before starting. Requirements and encounter consequences are tied to that selection.
  7. Start only when your expedition group is ready. A tribute submission begins the encounter according to the game’s rules. Make sure your tames, riders, supplies, and arena plan are in place before committing the set.

Why a correct artifact can still be rejected

A terminal can reject a submission even when the artifact itself is genuine. Common causes include using the right artifact for the wrong boss, selecting a different difficulty from the one you prepared for, missing a required creature trophy, or playing on a map whose tribute list differs from the one you followed. Reopen the map- and difficulty-specific list and compare every slot one by one.

Display an artifact on an Artifact Pedestal

If you are collecting rather than preparing for a boss, an Artifact Pedestal provides a decorative use. Place the pedestal in your base, interact with it, and transfer the artifact into its display inventory. The pedestal presents the item as a trophy with distinctive lighting, making it useful for a museum room, trophy hall, or visible record of progression.

Displaying an artifact does not substitute for a boss tribute. Treat the displayed copy as committed to decoration until you remove it and return it to storage. Keep a separate copy for a planned summon when the same artifact is difficult to farm or when your map has a long route to the container.

Compare artifact routes before choosing one

When you have more than one possible route, compare the run itself rather than choosing solely by distance. The following framework helps determine which cave to attempt first.

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Comparison factor Questions to ask Why it matters
Cave danger What creatures, environmental hazards, and choke points are documented? A shorter route can be worse if a death is likely or recovery is difficult.
Traversal requirements Can your chosen tame fit, swim, fly, or turn through the route? Mobility determines whether you can reach the container and retreat with the artifact.
Distance from base How far is the entrance from your supplies, beds, and storage? A nearby cave reduces recovery time after a failed run.
Distance from terminal How far must you transport the artifact and other tributes to the obelisk or boss terminal? Long transfers expose the artifact to additional travel risk.
Boss relevance Is this artifact required for your selected boss and difficulty? Prioritize items that complete an immediate tribute set instead of collecting random spares.
Respawn conditions Does your single-player, dedicated-server, or unofficial configuration use the expected timer? Mode and server settings can change when another copy becomes available.

Map, mode, and edition caveats

Artifact advice is never completely map-neutral. The artifact count, names available, cave entrance, coordinates, environmental hazards, and boss tribute list can all change by map. Use a page dedicated to the map you are actually playing.

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Game mode matters as well. Single-player has a documented 30-minute respawn behavior in the cited version notes, but that does not establish the same timer for every server. Unofficial servers may alter harvesting, cave respawns, creature levels, or item rules. Mods can add, move, or replace artifacts. If your observed behavior conflicts with the standard map page, check the server’s configuration and mod list.

Version matters for carrying. Human carrying was documented from version 254.0, and the Otter’s multiple-copy exception was introduced in version 267.0. A guide written for an earlier build may describe restrictions that no longer apply, while a modded or altered server may impose its own rules.

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Troubleshoot common artifact problems

The artifact container is empty

First verify that you are at the correct coordinates for your map and that another player has not recently looted it. In single-player, allow the documented respawn interval to pass. On a server, ask whether the cave was recently cleared and check the active respawn settings. Do not assume an empty container means the artifact was permanently removed.

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I reached the location but cannot find the container

Coordinates can identify a point inside a cave without showing the approach. Recheck the entrance, follow the route notes, and inspect nearby vertical levels or branching passages. Confirm that the page you used belongs to the current map and not a similarly named map or alternate version.

I died while carrying the artifact

Return using your recovery plan, recover the body or tame if possible, and check whether the artifact remains in the inventory or container. If it is gone, repeat the route after the container becomes available again. Reduce carried valuables on the next attempt and improve the exit plan rather than adding unrelated gear.

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The boss terminal will not start

Check the boss name, map, and difficulty first. Then compare every tribute slot: artifact type, creature trophy, quantity, and any other required item. A correct artifact by itself is insufficient when the encounter requires multiple artifacts or additional trophies.

I cannot carry multiple copies

Confirm your game version and the creature you are using. The documented Otter exception dates from version 267.0 and allows multiple copies of the same artifact; human carrying was documented from version 254.0. Earlier versions, other creatures, mods, and server rules may not provide the same behavior.

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A practical farming and storage routine

For repeated boss preparation, keep a written or digital checklist organized by map, boss, and difficulty. Mark each artifact as missing, stored, displayed, or submitted. This prevents a common mistake: taking a long cave trip for an artifact that is already in a pedestal or in a tribute terminal inventory.

  1. Choose one boss difficulty and copy its complete tribute list.
  2. Group the required artifacts by map and route.
  3. Run the safest route first, storing each successful artifact immediately.
  4. Keep trophies and other tribute items in a separate labeled container.
  5. Before traveling to the terminal, perform a final name-and-quantity check.
  6. After a summon, update the checklist so you know which artifacts must be farmed again.

When collecting for decoration, reserve a separate storage area for display candidates. This avoids accidentally submitting the only copy of an artifact you wanted to keep visible, and it makes it clear which items are available for the next boss attempt.

Quick artifact checklist

  • Identify the boss, map, and difficulty.
  • Confirm the exact artifact names and quantities.
  • Open the map-specific cave or artifact page.
  • Record the entrance and artifact coordinates.
  • Prepare equipment for the route’s environment and creatures.
  • Choose a tame that fits and can retreat safely.
  • Loot the container and verify the item in your inventory.
  • Store the artifact securely before collecting other resources.
  • Check all additional trophies and tribute items.
  • Submit the complete set at the correct obelisk or boss terminal.
  • For decoration, use an Artifact Pedestal and retain a separate summon copy.
  • Account for version, mode, server, and respawn-setting differences.

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