Minecraft ancient city finder
Enter your seed to list the ancient citys nearest to you, with exact X and Z coordinates, for Java Edition 1.19.2 to 1.21.4.
Structures and search area
Bedrock Edition isn't supported yet
Bedrock places structures and slime chunks differently from Java, so we don't show Java results for a Bedrock world. Bedrock support is coming. Switch to Java to use the map.
Ancient citys in numbers
- 1,295blocks from 0, 0 to the nearest ancient city (median)
- 0.2ancient citys per 1,000 × 1,000 blocks
- 24 × 24chunks per region, one attempt each
- 38/39of our listed results confirmed by the game
Measured with our engine on 10 test seeds, Java 1.21.1, in an area of 8,192 × 8,192 blocks around 0, 0 for each seed.
What is an ancient city?
An ancient city is a huge, dark ruined palace deep underground. Its chests hold loot you can’t find anywhere else, such as echo shards and disc fragments. 6 things to look for inside:
- Echo shards and disc fragments
- Enchanted books with Swift Sneak
- Enchanted golden apples
- Ward and silence armor trim templates
- A portal-shaped frame made of reinforced deepslate
- A hidden basement with redstone under the city centre
Watch out: Sculk shriekers are much more common here than in the rest of the deep dark, and they can summon the Warden.
Where ancient citys generate
Ancient cities generate only in the deep dark biome. The city floor is always at Y -51, and the city is about 20 blocks tall. The deep dark is often under mountains, so ancient cities often are too.
The map can’t tell you a biome for ancient citys: they are underground, so the surface biome above them says little about where they are.
How far apart ancient citys are
The game splits the Overworld into square regions of 24 × 24 chunks (384 × 384 blocks) and makes one attempt in each. Our test areas held about 455 regions each and between 7 and 31 ancient citys, so about 3% of regions got one.
| Measure | Closest seed | Median seed | Furthest seed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest to 0, 0 (blocks) | 249 | 1,295 | 2,713 |
| Number in 8,192 × 8,192 blocks | 31 | 15 | 7 |
Engine results for the 10 test seeds, Java 1.21.1. Placement: 1 per 24 × 24 chunks.
The median is a typical seed. Yours can be much closer or further, which is why the finder lists results for your exact seed.
Tips for finding and exploring ancient citys
- Dig down to Y -51 at the coordinates: the city floor is always at that height.
- The corridors have wool floors, which reduce vibrations, so walk on them.
- Chests often hold snowballs and Swift Sneak books, which help you explore without waking the Warden.
How to use the coordinates in game
- Press F3 to see your own X and Z, then head towards the result’s X and Z. Ancient citys are deep underground, with the floor at Y -51, so dig down to Y -51 at the coordinates.
- With cheats on, tap a marker or Copy and run
/tp @s X ~ Z; the~keeps your current height. - The coordinates are the north-west corner of the chunk the ancient city starts in, the same chunk
/locate structure minecraft:ancient_citypoints to.
Set “Search near” to your base or the map centre to list ancient citys around a different spot. To see ancient citys next to every other structure type, use the structure finder.
How accurate the ancient city finder is
We started a real Java 1.21.1 server for 10 test seeds. Our nearest ancient city to 0, 0 matched the game’s /locate on 10 of 10 seeds, and the game confirmed 38 of the 39 ancient citys we listed. Rarely, a result may not generate. Check in game. Other versions haven’t been checked against the game yet.
Bedrock Edition: Java only for now
Bedrock uses its own structure placement, which we haven’t rebuilt yet. A Java map would point you to the wrong places, so the finder doesn’t show Bedrock results yet.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find an ancient city in Minecraft?
Enter your world seed above, pick the Java version the world was created in, and the finder lists the nearest ancient citys with exact X and Z coordinates. Dig down to Y -51 at the coordinates: the city floor is always at that height.
What Y-level are ancient citys at?
Ancient citys are deep underground, with the floor at Y -51, so dig down to Y -51 at the coordinates.
How far away is the nearest ancient city?
On our 10 test seeds the nearest ancient city to 0, 0 was 1,295 blocks away for a typical seed, ranging from 249 to 2,713 blocks. Your seed can be closer or further, so check the list for your own world.
Does the ancient city finder work on Bedrock Edition?
Not yet. Bedrock uses its own structure placement. The finder only shows Java results, so it never points you to the wrong place.
How accurate is the ancient city finder?
We checked it against a real Java 1.21.1 server: the game confirmed 38 of the 39 ancient citys we listed, and our nearest result matched /locate on 10 of 10 seeds. Rarely, a result may not generate. Check in game.
How do I find my Minecraft seed?
In Java Edition, type /seed in chat. It works in single player even with cheats off; on a server you need operator rights. Text seeds work too: paste them as they are.
Related finders
- Woodland mansion finderRare dark forest mansions and totems.
- Ocean monument finderDeep ocean temples with gold and sponges.
- Pillager outpost finderWatchtowers and ominous bottles.
- Desert pyramid finderFour hidden chests and a TNT trap.
- Jungle temple finderArrow traps and a lever puzzle.
- All findersEvery finder on one page.
Ancient citys were added in Java 1.19. Facts from the Minecraft Wiki: Ancient City.