Minecraft's oceans are teeming with beautiful fish, dangerous monsters, and mysterious structures. But, within the hassle of adventures, many play forget the amazing treasures buried beneath the ocean. From rare Minecraft ores to the Heart of the Sea, these treasure chests hold a variety of valuables. So, it’s time to discover how to find buried treasure in Minecraft and reap all the rewards it has to offer.
How to Find Buried Treasure in Minecraft (2023)
You can use our guide to find buried treasure quite easily. But, if you want to increase your chance even further, make sure to use the best Minecraft seeds before beginning.
What is Buried Treasure in Minecraft
Buried treasures in Minecraft are rare chests that spawn in the beaches and oceans of the overworld. As the name implies, these hidden treasures spawn underground and require digging to access. From food to weapons, you can get various valuable items from them.
Moreover, on the best Minecraft island seeds, these chests are often the only resource for survival. But, before you can even look for the buried treasure, you need to get explorer maps.
Find Buried Treasure Maps
The buried treasure maps are a unique type of maps in Minecraft that mark the location of the nearest treasure chests. Each treasure chest has its own map which spawns close to the spot where it is buried.
There are two main ways to get buried treasure maps in Minecraft
- Shipwrecks: All shipwrecks spawn with at least one buried treasure map inside their chests. They are the most reliable way to find a map of buried treasure.
- Underwater Ruins: The chests of ruins have around a 40% chance of spawning with a buried treasure map. But, these structures are often guarded by hostile drowned mobs.
Prepare for the Search
Once you find the buried treasure map, it's time to prepare for your journey. Here's everything you need:
- Shovel: Just like a real pirate, you need a shovel to dig up sandblocks and uncover buried treasure in Minecraft. You can craft a wooden shovel by combining two sticks and a plank.
- Shield: Since buried treasure chests can spawn underwater, you might have to fight drowned zombies to get to them. So, it's best to make a shield in Minecraft for your safety.
- Boat: Oceans are the safest and fastest route to reach the buried treasure in Minecraft. But to travel across the ocean, you first need to make a boat in Minecraft.
- Food: Even though the treasure doesn't spawn too far from its map, finding it can still take time. That's why it's you should keep some bread or meat in your inventory to avoid hunger.
- X-Ray: You can use some of the best Minecraft PvP texture packs to unlock X-Ray vision and spot the chest before digging for it. But, keep in mind that many Minecraft SMP servers can ban you from using such textures.
Use the Map and Find Buried Treasure
Follow these simple steps to use the map to find buried treasure in Minecraft:
1. First, hold the map in your main or off-hand to look at it. The map uses a white cursor icon to display your current location. Meanwhile, the location of the treasure is marked with an X.
2. Move for 20-30 blocks in every direction until the cursor on the map moves. Then, keep going in the direction that gets you parallel to the X. Once you are parallel to the X, move in different directions until the cursor starts moving toward the X. As you get closer to the treasure, the map will color itself, revealing nearby biomes. 
4. When the cursor is right on top of the X, it's time to dig down. Use your shovel or pickaxe to break the blocks beneath you and uncover the treasure chest. You can also use a TNT block to speed up the process.
5. In some cases, the treasure chest can be inside the ocean too. Then, you need to dive deep into the ocean floor and mine it to get to reach the chest.
What is Inside a Buried Treasure in Minecraft
Now that you know how to find buried treasure in Minecraft, it's time to discover what it contains. So, here's a complete list of all the items you can find inside buried treasure chests:
- Heart of the Sea
- Name Tag
- Chainmail Armor (leggings/boots/chestplate/helmet)
- Iron Ingot
- Prismarine Crystals
- Potion of Water Breathing
- Diamond
- Lead
- TNT
- Book and Quill
- Gold Ingot
- Music Disc (Mellohi/wait)
- Bottle o' Enchanting
- Cake
What is Heart of Sea in Minecraft
The Heart of the Sea is a rare crafting item that only spawns inside the buried treasure chests in Minecraft. You can combine it with 8 nautilus shells to make a conduit, a block that gives you special powers underwater.
Find and Loot Buried Treasure in Minecraft 1.20
Now that you know how to find buried treasure in Minecraft, it’s time to start your oceanic adventure. But, don’t forget to get enchantments like Breathing and Depth Strider to make the search safer. Moreover, every journey is better if you have your friends from Minecraft servers around. So, gather your fellow adventurers and dive in!