/give @p minecraft:suspicious_sand[block_entity_data={id:"minecraft:brushable_block",LootTable:"minecraft:archaeology/desert_pyramid"}]This block will use the minecraft:archaeology/desert_pyramid loot table. When brushed in-game, it will drop a random item from this table.
Build complete /give commands for suspicious sand and suspicious gravel with custom loot tables. Set up archaeology dig sites with specific items for players to discover using the brush.
Suspicious blocks were introduced in Minecraft 1.20 (Trails and Tales) as part of the archaeology system. They look nearly identical to their normal counterparts but contain a hidden item that players reveal by brushing. The brush slowly uncovers the item over four brush strokes.
For map makers and server builders, the suspicious block generator creates these blocks with specific loot tables. This lets you design custom archaeology experiences: treasure hunts, educational dig sites, or puzzle maps that require finding specific items.
1. Choose the block type. Pick suspicious sand or suspicious gravel.
2. Select a loot table. Each built-in archaeology loot table corresponds to a specific structure type.
3. Copy the command and place the block in your world. When a player brushes it, they receive a random item from the loot table.
Each structure type has its own loot table with different possible items:
| Structure | Block Type | Notable Loot |
|---|---|---|
| Desert Temple | Sand | Archer, Arms Up, Prize, Skull sherds; emeralds, TNT |
| Desert Well | Sand | Brewer sherd; emeralds, bricks, sticks |
| Trail Ruins (common) | Gravel | Burn, Danger, Friend, Heart, Sheaf sherds; dyes, bricks, sticks |
| Trail Ruins (rare) | Gravel | Explorer, Heartbreak, Howl, Miner, Mourner, Plenty, Shelter sherds |
| Ocean Ruins (warm) | Sand | Angler, Snort sherds; gold nuggets, emeralds, coal |
| Ocean Ruins (cold) | Gravel | Blade, Scrape sherds; coal, emeralds, iron axe |
| Trial Chambers | Sand/Gravel | Flow, Guster sherds; emeralds, various items |
Trail Ruins are the most loot-dense archaeology site, with both common and rare loot tables spanning 11 unique pottery sherds. They generate underground, marked by gravel and suspicious gravel patches in a buried structure layout.
Custom dig sites: create themed archaeology areas on your server. Bury suspicious blocks under regular sand or gravel for players to discover and brush.
Treasure hunts: hide rare items in suspicious blocks scattered through an adventure map. Players must bring a brush and carefully excavate to find rewards.
Educational maps: build a mock archaeological site for a learning experience. Label different dig zones with signs explaining what the loot represents.
Watch out for gravity: suspicious sand and gravel fall like their normal counterparts. If the block below is removed, the suspicious block falls and breaks without dropping its hidden item.
Suspicious sand is a block that looks identical to regular sand but contains a hidden item. When brushed with a brush tool, the item is gradually revealed and drops. Suspicious sand is found in Desert Temples, Desert Wells, Ocean Ruins, Warm Ocean Ruins, and Trail Ruins.
Suspicious gravel generates in Trail Ruins and Cold Ocean Ruins. Like suspicious sand, it contains a hidden item revealed by brushing. It was added alongside suspicious sand in Minecraft 1.20 (Trails and Tales).
Suspicious blocks can contain pottery sherds (23 types), emeralds, wheat, beetroot seeds, coal, sticks, gold nuggets, dyes, candles, and various other small items. The specific item depends on the structure type. Trail Ruins have the widest variety with 11 unique pottery sherds.
The loot is controlled by a block_entity_data component on the item: minecraft:suspicious_sand[block_entity_data={id:"minecraft:brushable_block",LootTable:"minecraft:archaeology/desert_pyramid"}]. This generator builds that full syntax for you, so you only pick the block type and loot table.
Suspicious sand and gravel are affected by gravity like their normal counterparts. If the block below them is removed, they fall and break without revealing their hidden item. Place them on solid blocks and brush them in place rather than mining underneath.
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