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Use a Minecraft brush on suspicious sand or suspicious gravel to uncover buried objects. The structure where you excavate determines which archaeology loot table is used, so a warm ocean ruin does not offer exactly the same possibilities as a desert well or trail ruin. Suspicious sand appears at warm ocean ruins, desert pyramids (desert temples) and desert wells; suspicious gravel appears at cold ocean ruins and trail ruins. Mojang’s 2023 archaeology announcement distributed 20 pottery sherds across five archaeology sites, making the site you choose important when you are collecting the complete set.
What the brush does
Archaeology is a block-interaction system introduced with the Trails & Tales update. The brush is used against two special blocks: suspicious sand and suspicious gravel. They resemble their ordinary counterparts closely, but they contain a buried object tied to the structure that generated them.
Mojang’s official update description summarizes the mechanic this way: “Brushing Suspicious Sand or Suspicious Gravel with a Brush will extract objects that were buried long ago.” The brush is therefore not a general-purpose tool for ordinary sand or gravel. It is an excavation tool for these deliberately generated suspicious blocks.
When you find one, target the block and use the brush interaction for your edition. Keep the block in place while the excavation runs. Breaking it, letting it fall, or otherwise dislodging it can destroy the archaeology opportunity before the hidden item is extracted. Java and Bedrock can differ in exact interaction timing, animation and loot presentation, so treat the control as the normal use/interact action for your platform rather than relying on a keyboard key copied from another edition.
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Ordinary and suspicious blocks are different
- Ordinary sand or gravel: behaves as a normal building or terrain block and cannot be excavated for archaeology loot.
- Suspicious sand: the archaeology block used at warm ocean ruins, desert pyramids and desert wells.
- Suspicious gravel: the archaeology block used at cold ocean ruins and trail ruins.
The visual distinction is intentionally subtle. Slow down around a structure, compare nearby blocks, and aim precisely before you start mining. If you break a block that looked promising, replacing it with ordinary sand or gravel does not restore the buried object.
Where to find suspicious sand and suspicious gravel
Archaeology sites are defined by their structure and block type. The following map is the safest way to plan a search; it avoids assuming that one universal loot list applies everywhere.
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desert well | Suspicious sand | Desert structure; search the well carefully instead of excavating surrounding terrain indiscriminately. | Part of the 20-shard distribution across five sites; exact site allocation is edition/version dependent. | Structure archaeology table; exact ordinary and rare entries not stated in the supplied Mojang material. |
| Desert pyramid (desert temple) | Suspicious sand | Desert temple structure; archaeology blocks are separate from the temple’s other hazards and loot. | Part of the 20-shard distribution across five sites. | Structure archaeology table; verify Java or Bedrock and patch before using a precise list. |
| Warm ocean ruin | Suspicious sand | Underwater warm-ocean structure; visibility and buoyancy make careful positioning important. | Part of the 20-shard distribution across five sites. | Warm-ocean archaeology table; exact entries vary by edition and patch. |
| Cold ocean ruin | Suspicious gravel | Underwater cold-ocean structure; do not confuse its gravel with ordinary seafloor gravel. | Part of the 20-shard distribution across five sites. | Cold-ocean archaeology table; exact entries vary by edition and patch. |
| Trail ruin | Suspicious gravel | Ruin site exposed through terrain; excavate around the visible trail carefully because buried blocks can be easy to disturb. | Part of the 20-shard distribution across five sites. | Distinct archaeology table. Java 1.20 reference data documents rare trail-ruins outcomes in addition to the normal pool. |
Mojang’s announcement names five sites—desert wells, desert temples, cold ocean ruins, warm ocean ruins and trail ruins—and states that a total of 20 sherds are distributed between them. It does not establish one fixed sherd count for every site in every release. Use the table as a route-planning guide, not as a promise that a particular design will appear at a particular structure.
Desert wells
Desert wells are the smallest and easiest-to-overlook archaeology locations. Their suspicious sand is associated with the well structure, not with every sand block in the surrounding desert. Inspect the structure first, mark the blocks you intend to brush, and avoid rapidly clearing the area with a shovel. A brush is slower than ordinary mining, but that delay protects the buried object.
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Desert pyramids
Desert pyramids are also called desert temples. Their suspicious sand belongs to the archaeology portion of the structure. Separate excavation from any other exploration: secure the area, identify suspicious blocks, and brush them one at a time. The structure’s archaeology table—not the fact that it is in a desert alone—controls what can emerge.
Warm ocean ruins
Warm ocean ruins use suspicious sand. Because the site is underwater, place yourself so the block remains supported and visible while you brush it. Avoid knocking blocks out of position while clearing water or surrounding debris. The warm-ocean ruin’s table governs the result, so collecting at this site is not interchangeable with collecting at a desert structure.
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Cold ocean ruins use suspicious gravel rather than suspicious sand. Ordinary gravel is common underwater, so the ability to distinguish the suspicious block is especially important. Treat every candidate block as fragile: do not mine through the ruin with a tool before confirming whether the block is suspicious.
Trail ruins
Trail ruins use suspicious gravel and are the site most often associated with deliberate, slow excavation. Their buried sections can be surrounded by ordinary terrain, making accidental removal easy. Java 1.20 reference data identifies a separate trail-ruins archaeology table and rare outcomes, but the exact entries depend on the edition and patch you are playing.
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How to use the brush safely
- Confirm the edition and version. Note whether you are playing Java or Bedrock and record the game version. Loot tables and generation details can change between releases.
- Locate a supported archaeology structure. Search a desert well, desert pyramid, warm ocean ruin, cold ocean ruin or trail ruin. Do not assume that a random patch of sand or gravel contains an item.
- Identify the suspicious block. Compare the candidate with nearby ordinary blocks and aim at the block itself. If you cannot tell which block is special, do not excavate yet.
- Stabilize the area. Remove only hazards that can interfere with your position. Keep the suspicious block supported; do not break the block underneath it or push it with another game mechanic.
- Select the brush. Put the brush in an accessible hotbar slot and select it before interacting. A different tool can mine or break the block instead of starting archaeology.
- Use the normal interact action. Face the suspicious block and hold or perform the platform’s use/interact input as required by your edition. The brush animation indicates that excavation is in progress.
- Keep the crosshair and block undisturbed. Do not switch to a mining action, place a block over the target, or move the target out of its supported position. Edition-specific timing and presentation can differ.
- Collect the extracted item and recheck the site. Once the excavation finishes, pick up the object and inspect adjacent suspicious blocks individually. Never assume that brushing one block clears the entire structure.
Controls by platform
Java and Bedrock use different default key and button layouts, and players often remap them. The reliable instruction is “use the interact/use button while holding the brush,” not a universal key name. On a controller or touch device, use the platform’s action that normally opens or interacts with a targeted block. If the brush does not animate, verify that you are targeting suspicious sand or gravel and that the brush is actually selected.
Why support matters
Suspicious blocks are not ordinary decorative blocks. If one is allowed to fall, is broken before extraction, or is moved by another mechanism, the buried object can be lost. Build a safe working position first, especially in water or around a partially exposed ruin. A few seconds spent securing the block is worth more than clearing a larger area quickly.
Suspicious sand versus suspicious gravel
| Question | Suspicious sand | Suspicious gravel |
|---|---|---|
| Where is it found? | Warm ocean ruins, desert pyramids and desert wells. | Cold ocean ruins and trail ruins. |
| What ordinary block does it resemble? | Sand. | Gravel. |
| How is it excavated? | Use a brush while the block remains supported. | Use a brush while the block remains supported. |
| Does the block alone determine the loot? | No. The containing structure’s archaeology table determines possible results. | No. The containing structure’s archaeology table determines possible results. |
| Can an ordinary block be substituted? | No. Replacing suspicious sand with ordinary sand does not recreate its buried object. | No. Replacing suspicious gravel with ordinary gravel does not recreate its buried object. |
The practical difference is location, not a different brushing technique. Learn the structure-to-block mapping first, then use the same careful excavation method for both.
Pottery sherds: the main collectible
Pottery sherds are the signature archaeology collectible. Mojang’s official announcement says: “A total of 20 sherds have been distributed between the 5 Archaeology sites: Desert Wells, Desert Temples, Cold Ocean Ruins, Warm Ocean Ruins, and Trail Ruins.” That is a total across the archaeology system, not a statement that every structure contains all 20 or that every world generation exposes the same number of attempts.
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Because sherds are assigned through structure loot tables, collecting a complete set requires visiting more than one type of site. A desert-only expedition cannot substitute for ocean ruins or trail ruins when a sherd is tied to another site’s pool. Keep a written list of the designs you have found, and record the edition and version alongside it; otherwise, a missing design may reflect a table change rather than poor searching.
What else can be found?
Pottery sherds are not the only possible archaeology results. Site tables also contain other items, and the mix differs by structure. Java 1.20 reference data documents distinct archaeology loot tables and rare outcomes for trail ruins. The exact probability and complete item list are not universal: Java and Bedrock can use different tables, and later patches can alter generation or entries. Any guide that presents one unqualified percentage as applying to every edition is oversimplifying the mechanic.
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Think of each archaeology site as a separate container of possibilities. When you brush a suspicious block, the game uses the table associated with the structure that generated that block. The block’s appearance tells you whether brushing is possible; the structure tells you what can emerge.
- Structure first: identify the ruin, well, pyramid or trail ruin before interpreting a drop.
- Edition second: check Java or Bedrock because reference tables can diverge.
- Patch third: use data for the exact game release, especially when hunting rare outcomes.
- Probability last: only trust a percentage that names its edition, version and table.
This model explains why two suspicious blocks that look similar can produce different objects. It also explains why a site-specific collection route is more reliable than brushing random sand and hoping for a particular sherd.
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Edition and patch checks before you publish or plan a hunt
Exact archaeology details are version-sensitive. Before using a loot table or giving someone coordinates, confirm:
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- Java Edition or Bedrock Edition;
- the full game version and any active experimental features;
- whether the structure was generated before or after an update;
- the source’s date and whether its table is labeled for that edition;
- whether a claimed rare result is documented for the same site and release.
World generation can preserve older structures after an update, so a newly updated client does not necessarily mean every unexplored or previously generated area follows the same assumptions. If a result conflicts with a table, first check the edition, version and structure identity before concluding that the brush failed.
Expedition planning by environment
For desert sites
- Search desert wells and desert pyramids as separate site types; their tables are not interchangeable.
- Mark suspicious blocks before removing ordinary sand around them.
- Work from the outside inward so the target remains supported.
- Keep an inventory slot free for extracted objects and record each sherd design.
For ocean ruins
- Distinguish warm from cold ocean ruins because the block type changes from sand to gravel.
- Stabilize your position before brushing; underwater movement makes accidental mining easier.
- Inspect surrounding blocks individually instead of clearing the ruin with a broad mining sweep.
- Label your notes with the ocean temperature category and edition.
For trail ruins
- Expect suspicious gravel to be mixed with ordinary terrain.
- Expose the area gradually and support blocks before brushing.
- Use a Java 1.20 table only when you are actually playing the matching Java release; rare outcomes are not automatically portable to Bedrock.
- Keep a backup route to the site so you can return if your first pass misses buried blocks.
Troubleshooting brush problems
The block breaks instead of brushing
You are probably targeting ordinary sand or gravel, using the wrong item, or pressing the mining action rather than the interact action. Re-select the brush, aim at the center of the suspicious block and use the platform’s normal block-interaction input. If the block is ordinary, no brush animation will begin.
The brush starts but no item appears
Allow the excavation interaction to finish and keep the block supported. If the block was moved, broken, or replaced during the attempt, its buried object may already be lost. Reloading a world cannot recreate an object from a block that was destroyed.
You found sand or gravel near a structure but it is not suspicious
Only generated suspicious blocks participate in archaeology. A desert, ocean floor or trail-like patch of terrain is not itself an archaeology site. Confirm that the block is part of one of the five supported structure types.
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Check the structure name, Java or Bedrock edition, exact patch and whether the reference data describes ordinary or rare outcomes. The supplied Mojang announcement establishes the five sites and 20-shard total, but it does not define one permanent table for every later release.
Quick field checklist
- Brush selected, not a shovel or pickaxe.
- Target confirmed as suspicious sand or suspicious gravel.
- Structure identified before excavation.
- Block supported and protected from accidental breaking.
- Edition and version recorded.
- Each extracted sherd logged by site.
- Loot claims checked against the matching archaeology table.
Following this order prevents the two most expensive mistakes: destroying a suspicious block before extraction and searching the wrong structure for a sherd that belongs to another site’s table.
Quick Recap
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