So, you’re looking for a Deep Dark treasure trove but keep hitting nothing but dirt and stone. Honestly, it’s frustrating. You’ve probably spent hours strip mining at the wrong Y-level or wandering through biomes that have zero chance of spawning what you’re after. If you want to find an ancient city in Minecraft, you have to stop thinking like a miner and start thinking like a geologist. These things aren't just random spawns scattered like iron ore. They follow specific rules of world generation that, once you understand them, make the search way less of a headache.
Most players just dig down and hope for the best. That's a mistake. You're looking for a massive, sprawling structure made of deepslate and bone, guarded by a creature that can two-shot you in full Netherite. You need a plan.
The Secret is the Mountain
Forget the plains. Forget the deserts. If you want to find an ancient city in Minecraft, you need to look up before you look down. These structures are hard-coded to prefer spawning under areas with low "erosion" values. In plain English? Mountains. Massive, towering peaks. We’re talking Jagged Peaks, Frozen Peaks, or Stony Peaks biomes.
Why mountains? Because the game's terrain generator looks for high continental values and low erosion to place the Deep Dark biome. When you see a massive mountain range, there is a statistically higher probability that a Deep Dark biome—and potentially an Ancient City—is sitting directly beneath it. It’s not a 100% guarantee, but it’s the best "tell" the game gives you. I’ve found that Meadow biomes on the slopes of these mountains are also prime real estate. If you see a beautiful flower forest on a high plateau, grab your silk touch pickaxe. You're likely standing right above the void.
Getting the Y-Level Right
Deepslate starts at Y=0, but the party doesn't really start until you go much deeper. Ancient Cities are huge. They aren't just a single room; they are sprawling metropolises that can stretch for hundreds of blocks. Because of their sheer size, they need space. You will almost always find the floor of an Ancient City resting at Y=-52.
Don't bother looking at Y=-20 or Y=-30. You might find some sculk veins or the occasional sensor, but the actual city structure requires that deep, deep basement level of the world. If you’re strip mining, do it at Y=-51 or Y=-52. But honestly? Strip mining for a city is a waste of time. It's too slow. Instead, find a large, gaping cave entrance—the kind introduced in the 1.18 Caves & Cliffs update—and follow it as far down as it goes. Large "cheese caves" often cut right through the walls of an Ancient City, giving you a massive window into the structure without having to break a single block of deepslate.
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Visual Cues and the Sculk "Infestation"
You’ll know you’re close when the world turns black and teal. The Deep Dark isn't just a biome; it's a warning. The moment you see Sculk Blocks, Sculk Veins, or those creepy flickering Sculk Catalysts, stop running. Stop jumping. Start sneaking.
The Ancient City is the "palace" of this biome. Look for the transition from natural cave walls to polished deepslate bricks. If you see chiseled deepslate or gray wool, you’ve arrived. The wool is a dead giveaway. Interestingly, Minecraft’s developers (shoutout to the team at Mojang) actually placed wool around the city to teach players a lesson: wool dampens vibrations. It’s a literal hint on how to survive the place. If you see a path of gray wool, follow it. It’s often the safest route through the city's central plazas.
Using Commands (If You’re Not a Purist)
Look, we all have those days where we just want to see the cool stuff without the three-hour search. If you have cheats enabled or you’re the admin of your server, there is a shortcut. The /locate command is your best friend.
Type /locate structure minecraft:ancient_city into your chat. The game will spit out the coordinates of the nearest one. You can then click those coordinates to teleport or just travel there manually. It’s the "cheater’s" way to find an ancient city in Minecraft, but if you’re doing technical testing or just want to build a cool base in the void, no one’s judging.
On Bedrock Edition, the command is slightly different but functions the same. Just hit forward slash, type locate, and follow the prompts. If the command says "could not find," it means you’re in a region of the map that hasn't generated any mountains large enough to host a city. Move a few thousand blocks and try again.
Why Everyone Fails at the Center Portal
Once you're inside, everyone gravitates toward that giant, rectangular frame in the middle. It looks like a portal, right? It’s made of Reinforced Deepslate, a block you can’t even obtain in survival mode. While there are a million theories and mods about "lighting the portal," in the vanilla game, it’s just a decorative centerpiece. For now.
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Beneath that "portal" is a secret lab. Most people miss this. If you look closely at the floor in front of the frame, there are hidden redstone contraptions. You have to trigger them by walking over certain blocks or eating food (making noise) in specific spots. This secret basement contains a look into the "lore" of the city, showing how the previous inhabitants were trying to study the Sculk. It’s some of the best environmental storytelling Mojang has ever done.
Surviving the Find
Finding it is only half the battle. If you're not careful, your search will end with a Warden emerging from the ground. Here is the reality: you cannot kill the Warden easily, and you aren't supposed to. He has 500 health (250 hearts). That’s more than the Ender Dragon and the Wither.
- Pack Wool: Seriously. Bring stacks of it. Use it to carpet the floor as you walk so you don't trigger sensors.
- Night Vision Potions: The Deep Dark is... dark. Torches are okay, but they alert the Warden if you place them too close to a sensor. Night Vision lets you see the whole city at once.
- Snowballs: These are the best "distractions." Throw them away from you to lead the Warden in the opposite direction.
- The Swift Sneak Enchantment: You can only find this enchantment inside Ancient City chests. It’s a bit of a catch-22, but once you find it, put it on your leggings immediately. It lets you walk at full speed while crouching.
Actionable Next Steps
If you're ready to start the hunt right now, don't just wander aimlessly. Follow this workflow to maximize your efficiency:
- Locate a "High Continental" Biome: Open your F3 screen (on Java) and look for a mountain range with peaks reaching above Y=180. These are your best bets.
- Find the "Deep Hole": Look for a massive cave opening at the base or side of that mountain. If the cave descends into a "Dripstone Cave" or "Lush Cave," keep looking. You want the ones that stay dark and stony.
- Listen for the Silence: When the ambient cave music stops and you hear a low, pulsing thrum, you’ve hit the Deep Dark.
- Check Y=-52: Tunnel horizontally once you hit this level within a mountain's footprint.
- Loot the Ice Boxes: Look for small structures made of snow and ice inside the city. These contain "Long-running" food items like Golden Carrots which are essential for staying alive.
The Ancient City is the most atmospheric place in the game. It’s eerie, it’s dangerous, and the loot—including the Echo Shards used for Recovery Compasses and the Silence Armor Trim—is genuinely worth the risk. Just remember to keep your feet quiet and your eyes on the Y-level.