← Back to Home

Mastering Buried Treasure

Buried Treasure is arguably the strongest start for a Minecraft speedrun. It provides essential resources like iron, gold, and cooked food instantly, eliminating the need for early game smelting and hunting.

1. Finding the Map

Treasure maps are found in Shipwrecks and Ocean Ruins. Shipwrecks are the most consistent source.

Pro Tip: Not all shipwrecks have map chests. Look for the Map Chest specifically, which is usually located in the lower section of the stern (the back of the ship).

2. The Approach

Once you have the map, hold it in your off-hand (F) or main hand. Orient yourself so the white arrow (you) points towards the red X.

Travel until your arrow is directly on top of the X. The key to speed is knowing exactly where to dig without clearing the entire beach.

3. The "9-9" Strategy (Java Edition)

This is the most critical technique. In Java Edition, buried treasure always generates at specific chunk coordinates.

How to execute it:

Stand roughly over the X on the map.
Press F3 to open the debug screen.
Locate the line on the left side that says Chunk:.
You are looking for the numbers inside the brackets: [x, y, z].
Move your character until the first and third numbers are both 9.
Example: Chunk: 10 4 10 in [9, 4, 9]
Once you are at 9, ~, 9, dig straight down.

If you are at [9, ~, 9] in the chunk, the chest is guaranteed to be directly below you. This works 100% of the time in vanilla Java Edition.

4. Alternative: The Pie Chart Method

The Pie Chart (Shift+F3) is an advanced technique often used in "Mapless" runs or to confirm the treasure's location without relying solely on coordinates.

How to execute it:

Press Shift + F3 to open the profiler pie chart.
Navigate using the number keys: root → gamerenderer → level → entities → block_entities.
Watch the chart. Buried Treasure chests count as block_entities.
When you cross into the correct chunk, you will often see a distinct spike or appearance of the block_entities slice (or specifically chest in some versions/mods).

Note: This is best used to identify which chunk has the treasure if you are unsure. Once in the chunk, the 9-9 rule is still the best way to pinpoint the block.

5. Looting Strategy

Speed is key. Don't take everything. Prioritize the following:

Iron Ingots: For buckets, pickaxe, and flint & steel.
Gold Ingots: Essential for Piglin trading in the Nether.
Cooked Food: Salmon or Cod. Saves time cooking.
TNT: If found, take it. It's incredibly useful for the Dragon fight (One-cycling).

Ignore the Heart of the Sea and Prismarine Crystals unless you have a specific niche route.

Troubleshooting

Can't find the chest at 9-9?

Ensure you are looking at the Chunk coordinates (in the brackets), not the block coordinates.
Check if you are actually inside the X on the map. Sometimes the map leads to a neighboring chunk if you aren't careful.
If the chest is under stone or sandstone, you might need to dig deeper than just the sand layer.