You're standing at the mouth of a cave. It’s dark. It smells like bat guano and old chitin. If you’ve played more than ten minutes of ARK: Survival Evolved, you know that those glowing pedestals—the ARK Survival Evolved artifacts—are basically the only reason you’re risking your high-level Thylacoleo in a cramped stone tunnel. They aren't just shiny room decor. They are the literal keys to the endgame. Without them, you aren't fighting the Broodmother. You aren't seeing the Overseer. You're just a person in fiber clothes getting eaten by a Raptor.
Most players think finding artifacts is just about running in and grabbing a trophy. Honestly, it’s a mess. Between the absolute nightmare of the Snow Cave on The Island and the buggy spawns that sometimes happen on older servers, getting a full set is a test of patience. You’ve probably heard people say the Artifact of the Strong is the hardest. They’re right. But it's not just the level 300 Yetis; it’s the fact that the cave layout is designed to make you lose your mind.
What These Things Actually Do
Basically, artifacts serve one primary purpose: summoning bosses. Each map has a specific set. On The Island, you need ten. On Scorched Earth, you only need three. It’s weirdly inconsistent like that. When you take these glowing containers to an Obelisk—those giant floating towers that dominate the skyline—you place them in the terminal alongside some "tributes" like Rex arms or Megalodon teeth. That opens a portal. If you forget one artifact, the portal doesn't open. Simple as that.
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But here is the thing people forget. You can actually use them for decoration. If you craft an Artifact Pedestal, you can display them in your base. They provide a decent amount of light and, frankly, they look cool. Some players even use them as waypoints in dark bases because the glow is so distinct. Just don't expect them to give you a stat boost or anything fancy while they're sitting on a shelf. They’re just keys.
The Island Artifact Locations That Give People Nightmares
The Island is the classic experience. It’s also where the level design is most "raw," which is a polite way of saying some of these caves are miserable.
Take the Artifact of the Massive. It’s in the Lava Cave. It’s hot. You’ll dehydrate in minutes. If you misstep, you’re in the magma, and your gear is gone forever. No body recovery. No nothing. I’ve seen tribes lose entire breeding lines of Baryonyx because of one bad jump. Then you have the Artifact of the Clever. It’s in the North East Cave. This one is famous because the pathing is so narrow you can’t bring big dinos. You’re stuck with a Dimorphodon on your shoulder and a prayer.
The Artifact of the Cunning and Artifact of the Brute are underwater. That’s a whole different vibe. You need a Basilosaurus. Why? Because Cnidaria (jellyfish) will dismount you and kill you instantly if you’re on anything else. It's a slow, agonizing crawl through the depths.
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Strategies for Not Losing Your Soul
Don't go in blind. Seriously.
- Grappling Hooks are mandatory. I don't care how good your mount is. You will get stuck. You will need to bypass a pit of Onycs. Bring a crossbow and at least 20 hooks.
- Medical Brews over food. You’re going to get Mega Rabies. It’s inevitable in the Lower South Cave or the Central Cave. If you don't have brews, your health will just tick down while you watch helplessly.
- Cryopods changed everything. Back in the day, you had to breed dinos inside the caves. Now? Just throw a Megalania out of a pod and climb the ceiling. It’s basically cheating, but the game is hard enough, so who cares?
The Artifact of the Immune in the Swamp Cave is another beast entirely. You need a gas mask. Or three. The air is literally toxic. If your mask breaks and you don't have a spare, you have about thirty seconds to live. Most veterans use a high-level Megatherium here because they get a massive buff when they kill bugs, which that cave is full of. It’s the most efficient way to farm chitin and the artifact simultaneously.
Beyond The Island: Expansion Map Quirks
When Studio Wildcard released maps like Ragnarok or Aberration, they changed how artifacts felt. On Aberration, the Artifact of the Shadows is tucked away in a place that feels like a fever dream. You’re dealing with radiation, nameless, and those weird glowing plants. It feels more like a horror game than a survival sim.
Ragnarok actually makes it kind of fun. The Life’s Labyrinth is a literal dungeon with traps and puzzles. It’s not just "kill 50 spiders and grab the loot." You actually have to think. However, the stakes are higher. One wrong button press and the ceiling crushes you. It’s a nice change of pace from the standard cave crawl, though it can be frustrating if the server lag spikes while you're trying to time a jump.
The Misconception About Respawn Timers
A lot of people think artifacts take hours to respawn. They don't. Usually, it’s about 30 minutes on official settings. If you’re playing on a private server or single-player, it can be even faster. However, there’s a common bug where the artifact simply won't appear. If that happens, you usually have to leave the cave render distance and come back. It’s annoying. It’s been a thing for years. Just part of the "ARK charm," I guess.
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Why You Should Care About Tributes Too
You can't just run in with the ARK Survival Evolved artifacts and expect to fight a boss. Each difficulty level—Gamma, Beta, and Alpha—requires more stuff.
- Gamma: Usually just the artifacts.
- Beta: Artifacts plus some basic trophies (Alpha Raptor claws, etc.).
- Alpha: The whole kitchen sink. You’ll need Spino sails, Giganotosaurus hearts, and Yutyrannus lungs.
If you spend three hours getting the Artifact of the Strong and then realize you don't have enough Tusoteuthis tentacles for the Alpha Dragon, you’re going to be annoyed. Check the terminal requirements before you commit to a cave run. It saves a lot of back-and-forth flying.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Run
Stop procrastinating on the caves. If you want to progress, you need a plan.
First, tame a Baryonyx. They are the undisputed kings of most Island caves. They can jump, they heal rapidly from eating fish, and they have an AOE stun in the water. Second, check your armor durability. Caves are long. If your flak chest piece breaks halfway through the Caverns of Lost Hope, you’re basically naked against level 150 mobs. Third, bring a sleeping bag. Place it outside the cave entrance. If you die, you can respawn right there instead of flying across the entire map from your main base.
Once you have the artifacts, don't just leave them in your inventory. They’re heavy. Put them in a storage box near the Obelisk or inside a dedicated "Artifact Room" in your base. If you're on a PvP server, hide them. People love raiding bases just to steal the artifacts so they can block other tribes from doing boss runs. It's a classic move.
Get your grappling hooks ready. Go to the coordinates. Get the glow. The boss arenas are waiting, and they don't get any easier the longer you wait.