How to use the Minecraft Brush tool for archaeology

The Minecraft Brush tool—introduced in the 1.20 Trails & Tales update—lets you carefully excavate suspicious sand or gravel without mining, revealing hidden items such as pottery shards and armor trims through an archaeology-style animation.[1][2]

Acquiring the Brush tool

The brush is crafted with one stick, one copper ingot, and one feather, arranged in any pattern in your crafting grid.[1]

You can also find the brush as loot inside chests at specific locations:

• Desert wells
• Ocean ruins

These naturally generated structures are reliable spots to obtain the tool if you prefer skipping crafting.[1][2]

Using the Brush on suspicious blocks

Right-click or tap suspicious sand or gravel to start brushing; each use progresses the animation and consumes one durability point. The process reveals embedded items without removing the block itself. Collect what surfaces before moving on, as you may gather only one item per brushing action. Plan your rhythm, because mobs can appear during digging.[1]

When an item is found, sand or gravel particles appear briefly and the object pops out for collection. Repeat brushes on the same block to check for multiple finds—a mechanic popular in archaeology playstyles.[1]

What’s recoverable while brushing

Brushing these blocks can yield:

• Pottery shards (used to craft decorated pots)
• Armor trims and decorative pieces such as the snout pattern
• Other rarer items added through 1.20’s archaeology update

Items are randomly distributed in each suspicious block, rewarding patience and methodical excavation. Prioritize blocks lit by torches or lanterns to avoid missing brushable surfaces in low-light areas like caves.[1][2]

Practical survival tips

Bring extra brushes (crafted in bulk) when exploring high-value sites like desert wells or shipwrecks. Carry an off-hand hoe to speed up item collection after brushing, and keep light sources accessible: suspicious sand/gravel needs clear visibility to ensure you don’t overlook dig sites while searching.

Repair worn brushes quickly by returning to a crafting table with copper ingots and feathers. If accuracy is an issue on touch controls, mobile players can switch input methods to reduce mistaps during crucial digs.[1]

Common brushing issues solved

Brush doesn’t work on non-suspicious blocks—that includes general sand or gravel. The tool only responds to the special "suspicious" variants introduced in 1.20. If an empty animation appears, check your target’s block state before continuing.[1]

Durability depletion occasionally surprises new players, so repair or maintain a spare to avoid running out mid-excavation. Place torch-equipped platforms around dig sites to keep suspicious blocks illuminated, ensuring you spot and brush every potential find without unnecessary scrolling.[1]

FAQ

• Can I brush suspicious gravel with any tool? Only the dedicated Brush item triggers archaeology reveals; pickaxes, shovels, and other tools break blocks without starting the animation.[1]

• How many items can I get from one block? Each brushing action yields at most one item. Reuse the tool on the same block for additional rolls.[1]

• Can I brush underwater? Suspicious sand works normally underwater, but suspicious gravel may fail to release items correctly. Position digs above water or use temporary scaffolding to keep the workspace free of liquid.[1]

• Do rare items favor certain biomes? Item rarity is tied to the suspicious block itself, not the surrounding biome. Desert wells and ocean ruins simply provide more of these blocks—and therefore more chances at rare finds.[1][2]