Table of Contents
Who this is for: Minecraft players seeking rare loot and wanting to explore the game’s most challenging underground structures.
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Locate Deep Dark Biomes First
Ancient cities spawn exclusively in deep dark biomes, which generate between Y-levels -52 and -9. The easiest way to find these biomes is to dig down to around Y-level -40 and explore horizontally. You’ll know you’ve found a deep dark biome when you see sculk blocks covering the ground – they have a distinctive dark, veiny appearance that’s unmistakable.
Use Sound and Visual Cues
Deep dark biomes are eerily quiet compared to other underground areas. You won’t hear typical cave sounds like dripping water or monster noises. Instead, listen for the subtle ambient sounds unique to these biomes. Visually, look for sculk sensors, sculk shriekers, and sculk catalysts scattered throughout the area – these blocks indicate you’re getting close to an ancient city.
Systematic Exploration Strategy
Once you’re in a deep dark biome, explore methodically rather than randomly. Ancient cities are large structures, so they’re easier to find if you cover ground systematically. Dig tunnels in a grid pattern about 50-100 blocks apart, or follow natural cave systems if they exist at the right depth. Remember that ancient cities can be partially buried, so don’t just look for obvious entrances.
Essential Safety Preparations
Before venturing into deep dark biomes, bring wool blocks to muffle your footsteps and avoid triggering sculk sensors. Pack plenty of food, torches, and building materials. Most importantly, prepare for the Warden – this terrifying mob spawns when sculk shriekers are triggered multiple times. Consider bringing potions of swiftness or invisibility as escape options.
Alternative Methods
If manual exploration feels too tedious, you can use the /locate command in creative mode or with cheats enabled: type “/locate structure minecraft:ancient_city” to get coordinates. Some players also use third-party tools like Chunkbase to preview their world seed and identify ancient city locations before exploring.
Once you’ve mastered finding ancient cities, you might enjoy exploring other challenging Minecraft adventures and building projects.
TL;DR
Find ancient cities by exploring deep dark biomes between Y-levels -52 and -9, looking for sculk blocks and using systematic exploration patterns while staying quiet to avoid the Warden.
