Question about leveling Archeology.

[Underskilled]

My Archeology is currently 167. For a while now I've only gained skillups by creating artifacts. The problem is I want to save fragments for creating artifacts you can only discover at higher levels of Archeology.

Is there any way to level Archeology (at a reasonable speed) without simply creating artifact after artifact?

[Steavz]

No, skill points are only obtained through solving artifacts after 100. 5 for common items, 15 for rares.

[Accia]

I recommend picking one race + fossil to level up your archeology, and the ideal one would be the race without any items you need. Level up to 200 - 250. Reason being you can start the two fossil rare projects at around 200, where as you can't start the 359 iLvl reward projects til you hit 450 (Not sure if this is 100% correct, but a lot of discussion claims this to be true. I myself got my fossil mount at 215 and NE trinket at 455). After you finish the fossil rares, you can start saving up fragments for the race with the items you want and get to 450 with just fossils.

I also recommend if you don't get the 359 iLvl by ~475, farm a lot more fragments before continuing to complete anymore research. Reason is once you get to higher levels of archeology, your dig sites start to appear at the new higher level zones and it takes a lot longer to get further fragments if you have to clear lv85 mobs around the sites. One particular example is dwarf site at western Twilight Highland with groups of 3-4 mobs plus patrols all around, annoying to survey especially if you are bad at surveying or you are a healer.

[Jedah281]

My Arch is 465, when I hit 450, I made the epic level 80 Vrykul axe and got 465, I thought that after 450 the digsites would be in Uldum for the ramkahen artifacts... When do they start appearing? I still have the same old digsites..

[HarleyM]

I would recommend hitting 450 as soon as possible if you want anything from Tol'Vir (Uldum). They are simply lottery Kalimdor spawns that will only appear after 450. I saved all my Night Elf fragments until I hit 450, made about 30 items, and then continued on my way. I did not get the Night Elf 359 trinket, but either way saving those fragments was a waste, as I will continue to dig just for Tol'Vir sites long after I do finally get it. If you don't want Tol'Vir items, save fragments for anything you care about, and just level on fossils until 450.