Mostly Complete Guide to Archaeology

[Tigerlord]

What Archaeology has to offer.

Archaeology is a secondary profession, trainable only if you have the Cataclysm expansion. You can pick this up alongside cooking, fishing, and first aid.

The biggest perk to most players are the mounts. Things such as the Fossilized Raptor
and the Scepter of Azj'Aqir. Archaeology is also the only way to get the recipe for the much sought-after Vial of the Sands.

There is also a number of account-bound gear to be had. Not to be confused with heirloom gear, this gear does not scale with level, so that not so fashionable dress will stay level 60 always. Although some of the gear doesn't seem so good, some of the pieces are incredible for level 85 and are worth trying to get.

There are non-combat pets that an archaeologist can unearth. From a fossilized hatchling to a mummified hand, there is bound to be something you'd like.

Lastly, the vanity items that can be fun or good for a giggle. From random teleports to peaceful scarabs, there is a fun toy in almost every box (Orcs don't have any fun toys, they weren't very fun-loving apparently).

Training Archaeology

Archaeology is trainable at the following skills and levels:

• Apprentice - 0-75 skill, level 20
• Journeyman - 50-150 skill, level 20
• Expert - 125-225 skill, level 20
• Artisan - 200 - 300 skill, level 35
• Master - 275-375 skill, level 50
• Grand Master - 350 - 450 skill, level 65
• Illustrious Grand Master - 425-525 skill, level 75

Trainer Locations:

Neutral Trainers

• Shattrath- Boduro the Seeker, coords: 62, 70. Found in lower ring near the right edge of scryers tier.
• Dalaran - Dariness the Learned. She is located in The Ledgermain Lounge, the northernmost building in the center.

Alliance Trainers

• Stormwind - Harrison Jones, coords: 25.7,85.7. Found in the Stormwind Royal Library.
• Ironforge - Doktor Professor Ironpants, coords: 76,12. Found towards the back of the Hall of Explorers.
• Darnassus - Hammon the Jaded, coords: 43, 83. Found in the center of The Temple of the Moon.
• The Exodar - Diya, coords: 33,66. Found in the center of The Vault of Lights.
• Hellfire Peninsula - Gerdra Fardelve, coords: 53.7,65.9. Found in Honor Hold, at the south end of the town.
• Borean Tundra - Falda Fardelve, coords: 57.6,71.7. Located in Valiance Keep.
• Howling Fjord - Hugen Goldwise, coords: 58.3,62.5. Located in Valgarde.

Horde Trainers

• Orgrimmar - Belloc Brightblade, coords: 49,71. Found in the center of The Valley of Strength, in Garrosh's Throne Room.
• Undercity - Adam Hossack, coords: 76,36. Found in the inner circle at the southern end of the Mage Quarter.
• Thunder Bluff - Otoh Greyhide, coords: 75,28. Located in the center of Elder Rise.
• Silvermoon City - Elynara, coords: 81,64. Located under and between the E and the R in The Royal Exchange.
• Hellfire Peninsula - Sirabel, coords: 52.5, 36. Located in Thrallmar, at the northern end of the town.
• Borean Tundra - Lindarel, coords: 41,54. Located in Warsong Hold.
• Howling Fjord - Ian Thomas Wall, coords: 79,29. Located in Vengeance Landing.

Getting Skills in Archaeology

Your first 50 skills in Archaeology will be the easiest, as you get a skill point for every successful survey at a dig. That's 3 points per dig. You will receive points for digging up fragments all the way up to 100 skill. You can take advantage of this by not completing any projects until you are at 100 skill, as after 100, the only way to skill up archaeology is through completing projects.

Here is a breakdown of the skill points you can get:

• Successful Survey - 1 point (only to 100 and not guaranteed after 60 skill)
• Completing a Common Project - 5 points
• Completing a Rare Project - 15 points

If you want to level archaeology as fast as possible, don't solve any projects until you reach 100 skill and stay in Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor. The average 'cost' of a project is 30-35 fragments, while the other races average about 10 higher, thus taking longer to complete each project.

Digsites and How they Work

You will only ever have 4 personal digsites up at a time. They will always be in the first spot you find them until you successfully survey that spot 3 times. The fact they are personal means that no one else will be able to use up your digs at a site, even though you may spot one or two other people at that site, they each have their own 3 digs to use.


Example of what digsites on the continent map look like.

The digsites that spawn will only ever be in an area that you can access. If you are only level 25, you will not see digsites in areas like Felwood or Plaguelands, because they are too high level and you would be killed by NPCs probably before you even get to the site. At any point in time you should be able to reach all four digsites and survey there without incident. This doesn't account for higher level players on a PVP server that might feel the need to kill you for whatever reason.

Usually you can tell which race a digsite hosts by the area, or by the name. Sometimes you'll have no idea until you get some fragments, but every digsite is specific to one race. You will never find a digsite that gives you fragments for more than one race. Here are the continents and which races they host:

Eastern Kingdoms: Mainly Dwarf and Troll, Fossils can be found here and Kalimdor, there are a couple Night Elf sites.

Kalimdor: Mainly Night Elf, and Tol'vir (only in Uldum). Fossils can be found here and Eastern Kingdoms. There are a couple Troll, and one or two Dwarf sites.

Outlands: Orc and Draenei can only be found here and no where else. These are the only sites at all in Outland.

Northrend: Mainly Vrykul and Nerubian. There are Night Elf sites in Crystalsong, and Troll sites in Zul'drak.

Fragments and Keystones

Fragments come in many flavors, in fact, as many flavors as there are races. Fragments count as a currency and thus will not be in your bags, The average amount of fragments needed for the common projects of the basic races, Fossil, Troll, Night Elf, and Dwarf, is 30-35 fragments. Projects that are 35-44 fragments have a single keystone slot. Projects that have 45-54 fragments needed, the Outland and Northrend races' average, have 2 keystone slots. The only exception to the keystone rule is the Fossil race, which doesn't have a keystone. Rare projects of any race are 100-150 fragments, and all have 3 keystones, again with the exception of fossils. Extra fragments are carried over to the next project of that race, but aren't shareable between races. When you start out you will be able to get 3-4 fragments from each dig, and by the time you're maxed in archaeology you will be getting 3-6 fragments.

The Keystones are as follows for each race:

• Troll - Troll Tablet
• Dwarf - Dwarf Rune Stone
• Night Elf - Highborne Scroll
• Draenei - Draenei Tome
• Orc - Orc Blood Text
• Nerubian - Nerubian Obelisk
• [Vrykul - Vrykul Rune Stick
• Tol'vir - Tol'vir Hieroglyph

Keystones are found randomly at the corresponding dig site. When you are working on a project that allows keystones, there will be a hexagonal shape on the bottom left, across from the solve button. Keystones are placed in your bags when you find one, they stack, and you do not have to drag them from your bags to the archaeology window to use them. Simply click the empty shape to place the keystone, and click it again to remove it. The keystone will not stay if you close the window. Keystones are the equivalent of 12 fragments of the race they're used for, and if there are any extra fragments with a keystone then the fragments will carry over, just as if you had extra fragments without a keystone.

Surveying the Land

Surveying is your most important tool. It is what gives you fragments, keystones, and experience always. Through skills 1-100 it will also give you skill-ups, guaranteed until 60 skill. Surveying is a 1 second cast, castable in alternate forms such as cat, bear, or ghost wolf, but not in the druid's flight form. It also has a 5 second cooldown for everyone but dwarves. Survey will dismount you, and can only be used within a digsite. When you survey it will spawn either an item with the fragments, or a scope with a light attached. Fragments will never spawn in the water, although sometimes on the shore it will be underwater, but the scope will, so if you reach a digsite with pools or a lake, feel no need to swim around the lake bottom and only go to the dry areas. This counts for areas with pools and streams like the river in Hillsbrad or the swampy/tar pit areas in Un'goro crater.



The red light means you are very far from the fragments, and the direction it will give you is very general.The yellow light means you are close but not yet within 40 yards, and is more accurate.The green light means you are within 40 yards and is very accurate. The fragments will spawn within roughly 8 yards of where you survey.

Tips and Tidbits

Dwarf's racial ability, Explorer, gives them an extra 15 points in archaeology, a 0.65 second survey cast, which is not a very noticeable difference, and allows them to find more fragments.

As your archaeology skill goes up, you will be able to survey from 3-4 fragments up to 3-6 fragments.

The next project you work on is random, it can be the same common over again, or it can be a rare, there is no telling what you'll get next.

There are three titles to be had, and they are part of a series:

• Assistant Professor <name> Rewarded for completing your first rare project.
• Associate Professor <name> Rewarded for completing 10 rare projects.
• Professor <name> Rewarded for completing 20 rare projects. There are a total of 22.

Common items are only good for a bit of silver or gold. You can see the lore that comes with the items at any time through the finished projects tab.

In the finished projects tab, mousing over an item will show how many times it was made and the date and time you first discovered it. Rare items can only be made once.

List of Archaeology Artifacts

This list is common and rare items that can be found for every race. Rare items are in blue.

Dwarf

• Belt Buckle with Anvilmar Crest
• Wooden Whistle
• Bone Gaming Dice
• Ceramic Funeral Urn
• Worn Hunting Knife
• Pewter Drinking Cup
• Moltenfist's Jeweled Goblet
• Stone Gryphon
• Silver Neck Torc
• Ironstar's Petrified Shield
• Bodacious Door Knocker
• Scorched Staff of Shadow Priest Anund
• Dented Shield of Horuz Killcrow
• Notched Sword of Tunadil the Redeemer
• Winged Helm of the Corehammer
• Mithril Chain of Angerforge
• Boot Heel with Scrollwork
• Golden Chamber Pot
• Scepter of Charlga Razorflank
• Scepter of Bronzebeard
• Skull Staff of Shadowforge
• Dwarven Baby Socks
• Warmaul of Burningeye
• Silver Kris of Korl
• Spiked Gauntlets of Anvilrage
• Word of Empress Zoe
• Pipe of Franclorn Forgewright
  
• Clockwork Gnome
• The Innkeeper's Daughter
• Chalice of the Mountain Kings
• Staff of the Sorceror-Thane Thaurissan

Night Elf

• Scandalous Silk Nightgown
• Highborne Pyxis
• Green Dragon Ring
• Inlaid Ivory Comb
• Coin from Eldre'Thalas
• Cloak Clasp with Antlers
• Shattered Glaive
• Kaldorei Amphora
• Hairpin of Silver and Malachite
• Delicate Music Box
• Chest of Tiny Glass Animals
• Cracked Crystal Vial
• Silver Scroll Case
• Scepter of Xavius
• String of Small Pink Pearls
• Umbra Crescent
• Necklace with Elune Pendant
• Carcanet of the Hundred Magi
  
• Highborne Soul Mirror
• Druid and Priest Statue Set
• Queen Azshara's Dressing Gown
• Bones of Transformation
• Tyrande's Favorite Doll
• Kaldorei Wind Chimes
• Wisp Amulet

Troll

• Zandalari Voodoo Doll
• Fetish of Hir'eek
• Eerie Hakkari Idol
• Lizard Foot Charm
• Jade Asp with Ruby Eyes
• Feathered Gold Earring
• Cinnabar Bijou
• Atal'ai Scepter
• Gahz'rilla Figurine
• Skull-Shaped Planter
• Bracelet of Jade and Coins
• Drakkari Sacrificial Knife
• Tooth with Gold Filling
• Fine Bloodscalp Dinnerware
  
• Zin'rokh, Destroyer of Worlds

Draenei

• Strange Silver Paperweight
• Anklet with Golden Bells
• Scepter of the Nathrezim
• Fine Crystal Candleabra
• Dignified Portrait
• Plated Elekk Goad
• Baroque Sword Scabbard
• Carved Harp of Exotic Wood
  
• The Last Relic of Argus
• Arrival of the Naaru

Orc

• Tiny Bronze Scorpion
• Skull Drinking Cup
• Tile of Glazed Clay
• Gray Candle Stud
• Fiendish Whip
• Scepter of Nekros Skullcrusher
• Rusted Steak Knife
• Maul of Stone Guard Mur'og
• Fierce Wolf Figurine
  
• Headdress of the First Shaman

Nerubian

• Infested Ruby Ring
• Scepter of Nerzar'Azret
• Vizier's Scrawled Streamer
• Spidery Sundial
• Six Clawed Cornice
• Gruesome Heart Box
• Ewer of Jormungar Blood
  
• Blessing of the Old God
• Puzzle Box of Yogg-Saron

Vrykul

• Scramseax
• Thorned Necklace
• Flint Striker
• Intricate Treasure Chest Key
• Fanged Cloak Pin
  
• Nifflevar Bearded Axe

Tol'vir

• Cat Statue with Emerald Eyes
• Soapstone Scarab Necklace
• Tiny Oasis Mosaic
• Engraved Scimitar Pommel
• Canopic Jar
• Castle of Sand
• Sketch of a Desert Palace
  
• Crawling Claw
• Scepter of Azj'Aqir
• Staff of Ammunae
• Pendant of the Scarab Storm
• Ring of the Boy Emperor
• Scimitar of the Sirocco

Author's Note:
Thank you for reading this guide! I hope the information in here is helpful. Many an hour was spent writing this, from experience, and information on Wowhead.com, Wowwiki.com, MMO-Champion.com, friends, and other sources. I would personally like to thank the user Viceversa for his lists on Wowhead, that made putting some of this information up much easier and less time consuming. Congratulations to the winners of this contest and I hope you were all in to share helpful information on top of trying to win a cool prize that MMO-Champion is being so generous to give!

I would like to also point out, this guide may not be accurate come the next hotfix or two, as archaeology has been undergoing some changes and may or may not still change within the next month or so.