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How To Find Minecraft Treasure Maps
How To Follow A Buried Treasure Map
How To Find Treasure With Chunk Borders On
How To Find Treasure Without A Map
What To Expect In Treasure Chest Loot
What Is A Heart Of The Sea?
How To Make A Conduit
Buried treasure is a staple of any pirate-based content. While you aren't quite a pirate in Minecraft, you can still find treasure maps, which lead you straight to some valuable buried treasure. Of course, you'll need to do some exploring first. In this guide, we are going to go over how to use Minecraft treasure maps, as well as the loot you can receive from treasure chests.
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Finding the maps and chests may seem like a long process, but the loot makes it completely worth it. We will show several ways you can find the buried treasure, with and without a map, as well as what you can expect to find inside. First, let's look at how to find a treasure map.
Updated December 15, 2023 by Jacqueline Zalace: Do you have Minecraft treasure maps lying around that you don't know what to do with? Time to dust off these maps and find your buried treasure once and for all! We've updated the formatting of this guide slightly, helping you find your treasure in no time.
How To Find Minecraft Treasure Maps
![Minecraft: Guide To Using Treasure Maps (2) Minecraft: Guide To Using Treasure Maps (2)](https://i0.wp.com/static1.thegamerimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Minecraft-Shipwreck.jpg)
Buried treasure maps can only be found in shipwrecks and ocean ruins. Shipwrecks are underwater structures that resemble sunken ships. Some shipwrecks may have mobs such as drowned spawning, so it's best to be cautious when exploring.
Additionally, shipwrecks will spawn in a variety of different positions. For example, in the image above, you can see a shipwreck on its side stuck in ice. They can also spawn partially on land or buried on the beach.
Shipwreck Layouts
Inside each shipwreck, you can find up to three chests with a variety of loot. To get a treasure map, you need to locate the map chest. They are not labeled, but this chest will be located in the lower section of the ship.
The lower section may end up being on the top of the ship if it is overturned, so keep the ship's orientation in mind.
If there is a map chest, there is a 100 percent chance it will contain a buried treasure map.
Ocean Ruins
![Minecraft: Guide To Using Treasure Maps (3) Minecraft: Guide To Using Treasure Maps (3)](https://i0.wp.com/static1.thegamerimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/minecraft-ocean-ruins.jpg)
Similar to shipwrecks, you can find ocean ruins underwater. They are a bit rarer than shipwrecks and can be quite treacherous to navigate.
These structures are found in ocean biomes and appear to look like an underwater village. Within the buildings of an ocean ruin, there will be chests filled with loot.
You have a 43 percent chance to find a buried treasure map in these chests.
How To Follow A Buried Treasure Map
![Minecraft: Guide To Using Treasure Maps (4) Minecraft: Guide To Using Treasure Maps (4)](https://i0.wp.com/static1.thegamerimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Minecraft-Treasure-Map.jpg)
Now that you have the buried treasure map, take a look at it. If you are not standing near the treasure, you will see landmasses outlined, with the ocean filled with orange stripes.
As you come closer to the buried treasure, the map will fill in with color. In the image above, you can see the map has been partially filled in. Most of the time, you will find these chests on the beach or right off the coast. The treasure will be located at the red X.
Although it's rare, you may find a chest in the center of the ocean.
If this is the case, be sure to have Respiration and Aqua Affinity enchantments on your armor, so you can reach the bottom of the ocean without drowning.
How To Find Treasure With Chunk Borders On
![Minecraft: Guide To Using Treasure Maps (5) Minecraft: Guide To Using Treasure Maps (5)](https://i0.wp.com/static1.thegamerimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/minecraft-center-of-chunk-with-chunk-borders-turned-on.jpg)
Buried treasure will always generate near the center of the chunk. The world is broken into sections called chunks that aren't visible when playing.
In the image above, you can see the chunk borders marked in white. The red portion is the center of each edge, with the yellow marking the 2x2 area that is the exact middle of the chunk. Treasure will be near this yellow area.
You can easily turn on chunk borders by pressing F3 + G. Doing so will display all chunks. To turn off chunk borders, just press this again.
When you get near the X on the map, turn on chunk borders and find the center blocks of the chunk. Dig down until you reach the treasure chest, and gather your rewards. The chunk borders shown will depend on the chunk you are standing in; every border will not be visible at the same time.
How To Find Treasure Without A Map
![Minecraft: Guide To Using Treasure Maps (6) Minecraft: Guide To Using Treasure Maps (6)](https://i0.wp.com/static1.thegamerimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Minecraft-Beach.png)
There may be times when you don't have the patience to look for maps and want to skip straight to the treasure. While this may take a bit longer, it's not impossible.
The good news is that buried treasure can generally be found in thesame places that mapscan, like coastal areas, shipwrecks, and the ocean floor. This includes Beaches, Snowy Beaches, and Stony Shores.
However, it can be challenging to know where to start digging since buried treasure won't suddenly appear on the map when you are nearby. Based on the area it's located, the treasure may be covered by blocks matching its surroundings, like sand or gravel.
Overall, stick to the beaches, turn on your chunk borders, and look for any bits of extra suspicious-looking sand.
What To Expect In Treasure Chest Loot
![Minecraft: Guide To Using Treasure Maps (7) Minecraft: Guide To Using Treasure Maps (7)](https://i0.wp.com/static1.thegamerimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Minecraft-Treasure-chest-loot.jpg)
The buried treasure chests will have a variety of loot. Below, you can find all potential loot as well as the chances of finding it.
Item | Chance to Find |
---|---|
Heart of the Sea | 100% |
Iron Ingot | 99.4% |
Gold Ingot | 88% |
Cooked Cod | 75% |
Cooked Salmon | 75% |
Potion of Water Breathing | 66.7% |
TNT | 62.7% |
Emerald | 59.9% |
Prismarine Crystals | 59.9% |
Diamond | 59.9% |
Leather Tunic | 25% |
Iron Sword | 25% |
read more
As you can see, you have a pretty good chance of finding every treasure.
If you are playing on a server with others, there may be a chance that the chest has been looted already. If the area looks dug up, chances are, someone beat you to it. Sometimes, it may be difficult to tell if someone has already looted the chest.
Fortunately, every buried treasure contains a Heart of the Sea. This means that if it is gone, someone has already looted the chest.
What Is A Heart Of The Sea?
![Minecraft: Guide To Using Treasure Maps (8) Minecraft: Guide To Using Treasure Maps (8)](https://i0.wp.com/static1.thegamerimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/minecraft-player-holding-a-heart-of-the-sea.jpg)
Buried treasure chests are the only place that you can find the Heart of the Sea. At first, these may not seem too important, but don't get rid of them! A Heart of the Sea is incredibly rare and can be used to craft a conduit.
Conduits are crafted structures that provide a variety of underwater buffs, similar to beacons.
With a conduit nearby, you will have water breathing, night vision, and haste while underwater. Additionally, conduits will attack hostile mobs that are nearby.
How To Make A Conduit
![Minecraft: Guide To Using Treasure Maps (9) Minecraft: Guide To Using Treasure Maps (9)](https://i0.wp.com/static1.thegamerimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Minecraft-Conduit-.jpg)
To make a conduit, you will need the following materials.
- 1x Heart of the Sea
- 8x Nautilus Shells
Combining these items will create a placeable block. After making a shape like the one shown above, which serves as the frame, place the conduit in the center. This will cause it to activate.
How To Obtain Nautilus Shells
Nautilus shells are also a bit difficult to obtain. You can purchase them from the Wandering Trader for five emeralds; however, they will only sell you five.
Wandering Traders are a type of villager that can visit your base with a variety of goods. They will spawn within a 48-block radius of you, granted you are in an area where mobs can spawn.
If you are working on a part of your base for a long period of time, there is a good chance that a Wandering Trader will appear.
Drowned mobs have a three percent chance to hold a shell (eight percent on Bedrock edition) and will always drop it upon death. Lastly, nautilus shells can be obtained by fishing, but they are a rare item and will take some time to fish up.
That's all there is to know about buried treasure. Don't forget to gather your loot and construct a conduit!
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