Archaeology Dig

If you're looking for this event's flavor text, see Archaeology Dig (flavor text).

The Archaeology Dig can be reached from The Abandoned Mine. It cannot simply be a random event.

To enter the Archaeology Dig, you have to pay 2 Rupees to a woman who looks like a female Indiana Jones. You can also simply leave instead of paying and entering.

The Archaeology Dig is comprised of 4 Levels. At each Level, a crossroads will be found with a choice of 2 random challenges available in the level's pool of challenges. After beating each Level, you receive 2-3 Rupees. After the first 3 Lvs, you can choose to dig up a random treasure from that Lv's reward pool or continue on to the next Level; note that you can't continue after receiving a treasure, also note that you aren't shown the next 2 challenges you can choose from until after deciding to continue. After completing the 4th Lv, you are able to choose 1 out of 2 randomly selected legendary Artifacts.

Failure in a Lv 4 event will always result in the event killing you. Failure in a Lv 3 or lower event will always result in Incapacitation excluding dying due to jumping through the Cursed Gate without protection, picking a wrong exit in the Dark Passage, entering the Dark Passage with no way to see in the dark, or feeding the Starving Monster a Wacka Ball or Shroom Of Doom. Failure also results in the Archaeology Dig event as a whole ending.

If you try to select any event option in the Dig while Dead, you leave the event. Also, you cannot dig up a treasure while Dead; even if you complete all 4 Levels, if you try to select an Artifact while Dead, you will not obtain it.

One event for you to contend with for each Level is selected randomly out of each of these pools:

Lv 1 challenge pool: Rock Obstruction, Dark Passage, Starving Monster, Greedy Goblin, Ancient Riddle, and Chasm
Lv 2 challenge pool: All 13 challenges
Lv 3 challenge pool: All challenges excluding Rock Obstruction
Lv 4 challenge pool: Starving Monster, Greedy Goblin, Ancient Riddle, Chasm, Biggest Golem, Damaged Construct, and Small Golem

Note that each challenge can only appear once per visit to the Archaeology Dig, including options appearing but not chosen at a crossroads. (Exception: If an Improbability Device is given to the Greedy Goblin, it can change to a challenge that has appeared before or that will appear on a future Lv.)

The Archaeology Dig is a special location for the Shovel. Items which can be dug up include: Roc's Feather, Sword, Shield, Hammer, Gloves, Skull (2), Ordinary Necklace, Ordinary Ring, and 1 Rupee.

Challenges[edit | edit source]

Note that the names of the challenges below are only after choosing at a crossroads. For the descriptions shown when at a crossroads, see the bolded text under each challenge.

Ancient Riddle[edit | edit source]

A sphinx can be found at all 4 Levels. In this challenge, a sphinx asks you a random question with 4 answer choices. (The same questions can be found in the Questions!? event.)

If the question is answered correctly, you are allowed to pass.
You can drink Truth Serum to answer the question correctly automatically.
If the answer given is wrong, you receive a punishment in accordance with the Level. Note that Lawyers will not escape the penalty.
Lv 1 gives 18 seconds, Lv 2 gives 16 seconds, Lv 3 gives 14 seconds, and Lv 4 gives 12 seconds to answer or drink Truth Serum. Any action after this will be equivalent to answering incorrectly.
The Trivia Expertise feat will remove 1 incorrect answer choice from any question given.

Chasm[edit | edit source]

A chasm can be found at all four levels. The Chasm requires you to move forwards until reaching or going past a specific space in front of your current space, and requires more spaces to be moved the higher the Lv it is found.

Possible movement ranges needed for each Lv:

Lv 1: 3-5 spaces forward
Lv 2: 6-9 spaces forward
Lv 3: 10-14 spaces forward
Lv 4: 15-18 forward

Assuming that you aren't already at or past the required space, Lasso or Dino Mount (consumed) can be used to move up to 20 spaces towards the stated required space, Fed Dino Mount (consumed) can be used to move up to 25 spaces towards the stated required space, and Hookshot (1 charge consumed) can be used to move up to 12 spaces towards the stated required space. Hookshot/Lasso/(Fed) Dino Mount can be used along with other space movers, but beware that using Hookshot/Lasso/(Fed) Dino Mount will actually end the event whether or not they will allow you to reach the right space; use other space movers before these items if needed. Also, note that you will move no spaces if you use these items without being in their movement range. (Fed Dino Mount will still move you 25 spaces even if you are outside its movement range).

Space movers besides the (in-event) Hookshot/Lasso/(Fed) Dino Mount can be used along with the Floating Buff. The Floating Buff will move you 3-5 extra spaces forward if you press the [Did I make it to the other side?] button without having made it to or past the stated required space and are on a space in between the space on which you started the challenge and the stated required space. Note that the Floating Buff will not activate if you use the (in-event) Hookshot/Lasso/(Fed) Dino Mount, if you are behind or on the starting space, or if you are on or past the required space.

Notes[edit | edit source]

Upon using (in-event) Hookshot/Lasso/(Fed) Dino Mount after reaching the required success space, the items won't lose any charges or be destroyed.

Greedy Goblin[edit | edit source]

A greedy looking goblin can be found at all 4 Levels. The Greedy Goblin requires you to give him 1 item from your inventory per Lv the Greedy Goblin is; he wants 1 at Lv 1, 2 at Lv 2, 3 at Lv 3, and 4 at Lv 4.

A 10 Rupees substitute can be used instead of each required item, and the Haggle Expert feat and having the Merchant class each reduce this Rupee substitute cost by 4 rupees, down to a possible 2 Rupees only for substituting each item.

Sparkling items each count as 2 items instead of 1.

The Fair Trade skill (put on cooldown) can be used as an item substitute, and it will also grant you a random free item from a pool including: Beer, Chocolate Bar, Happy Crystal, Horn, Mining Pick, Old Tire, Tin Foil Hat, and Weed,.

The Charismatic Smile skill (put on cooldown) can be used as an item substitute and counts as 2 items instead of 1.

Giving the goblin a Pixie or Thieving Imp will instantly beat the challenge.

Giving the goblin an Improbability Device will replace the Greedy Goblin event with another challenge from the current Lv's pool.

Items on cooldown cannot be given to the goblin. Soulbound items can be given to the goblin.

Starving Monster[edit | edit source]

A hungry looking monster can be found at all 4 Levels. The Starving Monster requires 1 food item if it is Lv 1 or Lv 2, requires 2 food if Lv 3, and requires 3 food if Lv 4.

The Delicious enchantment can increase a Food item's food count by 1 (if it isn't already Delicious.)

Chocolate Salty Balls can beat the challenge instantly. Pufferfish can kill the monster and win the event instantly. The Pixie can also kill the monster randomly and win the event instantly, though sometimes the Pixie will count as 3 food items, and sometimes it will count as 2 food items.

Rattlesnake and Tree Frog each count as 4 food items.

Bacon Pancakes, Butter Fly, Fridge Fairy, Hamburger, Sauerkraut Mit Bratwurst, Szechuan Sauce, Tasty Tongue Piercing, and Uni-Corn each count as 3 food items.

Bee Hive, Birthday Cake, Buttered Toast, Cow, Explosive Sheep, Grapes, Holly's Thicc Booty, Mooshroom, Plumbus, Poison, Radioactive Banana, Roasted Turkey, Salmon, Salsamander, Smurf Shroom, Snake Stew, Spice Weasel, Three-Eyed Fish, and Vial Of Essence each count as 2 food items.

Chocolate Surprise Egg randomly counts either as 2 food items or just 1.

English Breakfast components and all chocolates left in a Box Of Chocolates each count as individual food items for the Starving Monster, up to 4 and 3 food items respectively. Note that an unopened Box Of Chocolates is considered to be 3 food items. Jalapenos, Lumpias, Magic Mushrooms, Nutritious Mold, and Pizza similarly have each of their charges count as an individual food item; the Delicious enchantment adds 1 food item to all of the aforementioned items as normal.

Feeding the monster a Wacka Ball or Shroom Of Doom will result in your own death, and the challenge will fail. Feeding the monster a Red Mushroom effectively counts as -1 food item.

Chocolate Easter Bunny Of Doom, Coconut, D-Bug, all Dragon Eggs, Green Mushroom, Hot Potato, Interdimensional Fart, any Plush Downie, and Pomegranate Seeds each count as 1 food item.

All other Food category items each count as 1 food item as of April 29th, 2020. Twinky cannot be used.

All other inherently Meat category items (excluding inherently Unremovable items, Basilisk, Bloop, Butterflies excluding Butter Fly, Bookworm/Hungry Bookworm, Cerberus, Chimaera, Christmas Elf, Demons, (Fed) Dino Mount, Doppelgänger, Dys Malfunction Figure, Fruit Bat, Golden Goose, Gray Dragon, Gray Dragonling, Heart Of The Dark God, Hydra, Jar Of Ants, Kangaroo, Killer Rabbit Of Caerbannog, Koala, Kulu-Ya-Ku, Malevolent Maw, Marieke Dolls, Metro-Gnome, Monkey, Mule, Nightingale, Odd Todd's Frog Clogs, Opossum, Pegasus, Penguin, Pose Master Puppet, Primordial Fish, Rabbit's Foot, Reindeer, Sarimanok, Seal, Sil Figurine, Spelling Bee, Tendril Of Yogg-Saron, all Tentacles, The Upper Hand, Trilobite, and Yeti) each count as 1 food item as of August 6th, 2023.

Items on cooldown can be given to the monster. Soulbound items can be given to the monster.

Rock Obstruction[edit | edit source]

A rock obstruction can be found on Levels 1 and 2.

ACME Rocket, ACME TNT, Bazooka, BOOM-erang, Earthbending (put on cooldown), Explosive Sheep, Hand Grenade, Holy Hand Grenade, Jackhammer (1 charge consumed, put on cooldown), Kulu-Ya-Ku if you have a Food item in your inventory (put on cooldown), (Dwarven) Mining Pick (put on cooldown), Pipe Bomb, Spider Mine, The Force (put on cooldown), and Unstable Essence (1 charge consumed) beat this challenge.

Dark Passage[edit | edit source]

A dark passage can be found at on Levels 1, 2, and 3. The event is the same at all Lvs apart from having gradually less time each Lv, with 15, 12, and 9 seconds for Lvs 1, 2, and 3 respectively.

You fail the challenge immediately if you do not have Night Vision upon encounter. You must choose the exit to succeed. (Will appear somewhere in the event image as an empty hole.) The challenge is also failed if you choose any option that's not an exit, or if you wait more than the allotted time to choose an option. (If you choose a monster/trap/sticky option after the time runs out, you still die rather than becoming Incapacitated.)

Bearded Phantom[edit | edit source]

A phantom guard can be found at Levels 2 and 3.

The Army Of The Dead skill (with at least 1 Soul Power which will be consumed; this option grants you the Bearded Phantom Buff), EMP Generator, Holy Hand Grenade, Holy Water, and Soulstone can beat the Bearded Phantom.

You can also beat the Bearded Phantom by relinquishing 2 of your Magic Buffs that are removable randomly; this is done automatically if possible when continuing without using an item. Note that Doom Walker and passively granted Buffs are not removable.

Cursed Gate[edit | edit source]

A magical gate can be found at Levels 2 and 3.

The Condense Magic skill (put on cooldown), Dispel Magic skill (put on cooldown), Divine Blessing skill (put on cooldown; Empowered Dice is gained), and any Spell item/skill with the Remove Curse or Spellsteal spell can beat the challenge. Jumping through the Cursed Gate with Dark Spell Immunity, Spell Immunity or certain types of spell protection (Spell Deflecting (25% chance), Spell Shield (Magic Crystal will be gained), Spell Reflection, Spellbinder's Charm (transforms into a Charged Spellbinder's Charm charged with Death), or Temporary Spell Reflection) can also beat the event. Attempting to jump through the Cursed Gate while having a death blocker can also beat the event if no spell protection activates. (The blocker(s) will be affected as with any other death.)

Note that you can just leave without jumping through; this Incapacitates you.

Demon Eye[edit | edit source]

A floating eye can be found at Levels 2 and 3.

Chainsaw, Demon Sword, Eye Of The Dragon, Lilith's Staff, Mirror Shield, Reflective Shades, and Spork can all beat this event without being consumed or put on cooldown. (The Mirror Shield can be used even if it is currently on cooldown. The Chainsaw does not lose any Gas.)

Bee Hive, any type of Bow (1 arrow consumed), Broken Glass, a Charged Dark Wand with the Scare spell, Combustible Lemon, Crabs, Cutlass (1 charge consumed, not put on cooldown), Fear skill (put on cooldown), Feign Death skill (put on cooldown), Hypno Glasses, Hypnotoad, Katana (1 charge consumed, not put on cooldown), Lemon, Night Vision Goggles, Pose Master's Mirror (put on cooldown with no charges consumed), Reading Glasses, Roar skill (put on cooldown), Scary Pumpkin, Skinning Knife, any Spell item/skill charged with the Focus or Laser spell, Sword (1 charge consumed), Swordfish, Syringe, Terrifying Pumpkin, The Smoking Mirror (put on cooldown), Torch (1 charge consumed), Woo The Raccoon (put on cooldown), and Wooden Stake/Sanctified Stake (put on cooldown) can all beat this challenge.

Upon choosing [I can't get rid of him...] while Invisible you'll successfully clear the event with your Invisible timer continuing as normal.

Libido Demon[edit | edit source]

A... flying penis... can be found at levels 2 and 3.

Ball Gag, Booby (put on cooldown), Buttplug Launcher (all charges consumed), Chloroform (all charges consumed), Chocolate Salty Balls, any Filled Pocket Ball (becomes an empty Pocket Ball), Flask Of Mojo, Free Drink, Fuzzy Cuffs, GHB, Holly's Thicc Booty (put on cooldown), Jinxed Jewel Of Impotence, Libido Fiend, Mojo Mead, Seduction skill (put on cooldown), Sex Bomb, Sexy Shoes (put on cooldown), Slavemaster's Knout (put on cooldown), V-Card, and Whip (put on cooldown) can all beat the Libido Demon.

Using Seduction, Sex Bomb, or Sexy Shoes in the event results in you having sex. In the case of Seduction, you gain a random STD. If you cannot have sex and attempt to use one of these options, nothing occurs besides you failing the challenge and becoming Incapacitated. (You don't even consume/put on cooldown what you try to use.)

You can also beat the Libido Demon by letting it rape you if you are not a -cubus; you gain 2 random STDs from the generic STD-givers (1) pool. If you are a -cubus, you can instead beat it by letting it suck you.

Letting the Libido Demon rape/suck you counts as you having sex. If you cannot have sex, choosing to let it rape/suck you will do nothing besides making you fail the event and become Incapacitated. (No STDs are gained.)

Damaged Construct[edit | edit source]

An old robot or something can be found on Levels 2, 3, and 4. The Damaged Construct requires you to give it 1 compatible item on Lvs 2 and 3 and requires 2 compatible items on Lv 4. The Tinkering Quietly feat passively reduces Lv 4's item requirements by 1 item and can be used to beat Lvs 2 and 3 instantly. (A button underneath the [I've got nothing...] button saying [Use your Tinkering Quietly feat!] can be clicked to use the feat on Lv 2 and 3.)

EMP Generator, Improbability Device, the Sabotage skill (put on cooldown), and Signal Jammer, can instantly beat the challenge. (In the case of the Improbability Device, you'll receive a random item from the following pool: Ankh Of The Pharaoh, Blue Dragon Egg, Blue Turtle Shell, Box Of Chocolates, Egg Launcher, Hypnotoad, Pixie, Quantum Crystallizer, Sex Bomb, The Demon Jester's Ring)

ACME Magnet, Concentrated Dark Matter, Lightning Rod, Old Tire, Portable Hole, Screw, Spanner, Sphere Of Annihilation, Spork, and Unstable Warp Plasm each count as 1 item.

All other inherently Mechanical items (excluding inherently Unremovable items) each count as 1 item as of April 29th, 2020. (Safe isn't an option in this event.)

Big(ger/gest) Golem[edit | edit source]

A big guard can be found on Levels 2, 3, and 4. The Big Golem requires you to have 6 total Speed at Lv 2, 9 Speed at Lv 3, and 12 Speed at Lv 4.

Camera (put on cooldown), Darkcaller, Egg Launcher (1 charge consumed), Go-Kart with at least 10% gas, Hinder skill's [Blind] (consumed until reset), Neuralyzer, Octopus (all charges consumed), Pi Pie, Shroom Of Doom: Eclipse skill (put on cooldown), the Sneaky Buff while simply selecting [I'll get past him!], any Spell item/skill with the Blind spell, Steady Progression skill (put on cooldown), and Tomatoes (all charges consumed) can each beat Lvs 2 and 3 of the Big Golem while having any Speed amount and can beat the Lv 4 Big Golem if you have 4+ total Speed.

Small Golem[edit | edit source]

A small guard can be found on Levels 2, 3, and 4. Some options can beat this challenge on all Levels, while others can only beat this option on Levels 2 and 3.

Options which can beat all Lvs: (Empowered) Artendellen (put on cooldown), Axe, Bazooka, Bear Boots (put on cooldown), Bear Hands (put on cooldown and 1 charge consumed), BOOM-erang (put on cooldown), Buster Sword (put on cooldown), Cutlass (put on cooldown and 1 charge consumed), Demon Sword (kept), Diss Card: Death, Explosive Sheep, Flintlock, Fishlock, Frostmourne (put on cooldown), Gun, Hand Grenade, Holy Hand Grenade, Katana (put on cooldown and 1 charge consumed), Killer Rabbit Of Caerbannog if your death is blocked or you revive after it kills you before clicking continue (put on cooldown), any Lightsaber (with at least 15% energy which will be consumed), Metsu Shoryuken (reverts to Shoryuken and put on cooldown), Minigun, (Sheathed) Muramasa (reverts to Sheathed Muramasa and put on cooldown), Pacman (counts as eating a generic Meat, Animal Products, Food item), Phaser set to Kill (with at least 90% energy which will be consumed), Powerbomb (put on cooldown), Pyroblast skill (with at least 40 mana which will be consumed), Rapier (not put on cooldown), Riftslasher (put on cooldown), Slash (put on cooldown), Spear (put on cooldown and 1 charge consumed), any Spell item/skill with the Death or Polymorph spell, Spider Mine, Sword (1 charge consumed), Swordfish, Tomahawk (put on cooldown and 1 charge consumed), Wooden Stake/Sanctified Stake (put on cooldown).

Options which can only beat Lvs 2 and 3: Assassinate skill (put on cooldown), Bear Form: Maul (put on cooldown), Boomerang (put on cooldown), Buttplug Launcher (1 charge consumed), Card Soldier Of Clubs (put on cooldown and 1 charge consumed), Chloroform (all charges consumed), Collarbound Cat (put on cooldown), Crocodile (put on cooldown), Darth Revan's Mask (put on cooldown and 1 charge consumed), Defibrillator (put on cooldown and 1 charge consumed), Double-Barreled Shotgun (put on cooldown and 1 charge consumed), Dropkick (put on cooldown), Extendo Fist, Freakachu (put on cooldown), Frying Pan (put on cooldown), Free Drink, Glove Of Love (put on cooldown and 1 charge consumed), Hammer Of Justice skill with Holy Hammer item in inventory (put on cooldown and Holy Hammer removed from inventory), Infected Fleshlight, Kulu-Ya-Ku with a rock (put on cooldown and 1 charge consumed), Mace (1 charge consumed), Magic Star, My Little Pawny (put on cooldown), One-Trick Pony with [Kick] option selected (put on cooldown), Pegasus Boots (put on cooldown), Phaser set to Stun (with at least 40% energy which will be consumed), Seduction skill (put on cooldown) and receive a random STD from the generic STD-givers (1) pool, Sex Bomb, Shinku Hadouken (reverts to Hadouken and put on cooldown), Shoryuken (put on cooldown), the Star Power Buff itself if you select [I don't have any items to attack him!] with it or select Pacman while Unable To Eat Or Drink, THIS IS SPARTA! skill (put on cooldown), Turtle Shell, Yeti (put on cooldown).

Rewards[edit | edit source]

Level 1: Demonic Ritual Stone, Fishing Pole, Fossil, Gloves, Hammer, Mining Pick, Ordinary Ring, Shield, War Helmet.
Level 2: Relic, Ring Of Arcane Vision, Ring Of Roll Streak, Roc's Feather, Staff.
Level 3: Bow, Dragonskin, Orb, Soulstone, Sword.
Level 4: A choice from 2 randomly selected Artifacts.

The Archaeology Dig Secret[edit | edit source]

This is regarded as one of the big secrets of BGO.

Spoilers
If you feed the Starving Monster a Green Mushroom before killing it with a Pufferfish or Pixie, it will revive. The challenge may even require more food to beat after this.

Trivia[edit | edit source]

The admin Dysprosium has made the following statement about why Artifacts usually are not directly usable in the Dig: "Artifacts don't work in the Archaeology Dig, because we didn't want a player's power level to spiral out of control after collecting an Artifact. Artifacts are very powerful and would very quickly trivialize future Archaeology Dig runs. That's the reason why we specifically excluded them from the Archaeology Dig."