Archaeology in Cataclysm Classic is a secondary profession that offers a unique and engaging way to explore the lore of Azeroth. Unlike primary professions, Archaeology doesn’t provide direct combat benefits, but it rewards players with a variety of cosmetic items, including pets, toys, and mounts. While there are epic and rare armor pieces obtainable, they are primarily for collection and fun, not for end-game power progression. Think of Archaeology as an optional, enjoyable side activity that enriches your World of Warcraft experience. This guide will walk you through the basics of Archaeology and detail the most effective methods to level it up to 525 in Cataclysm Classic.
Archaeology Trainers
You can learn Archaeology from trainers located in major cities across both Horde and Alliance factions. All ranks of Archaeology can be learned from any of these trainers, making it convenient to start your archaeological journey wherever you are.
| Horde | Alliance |
|---|---|
| Borginn Darktree – Orgrimmar | Harrison Jones – Stormwind City |
| Belloc Brightblade – Undercity | Sarque – Darnassus |
| Bronk Guzzlegear – Thunder Bluff | Isla Starmane – The Exodar |
Dig Sites
Once you’ve learned Archaeology, open your world map and zoom out to the continent level. You will notice small shovel icons appearing – these represent dig sites.
Each continent will have four active dig sites at any given time. These sites are persistent and will only change once you’ve exhausted a dig site by excavating all the artifacts within it. Importantly, dig sites are player-specific, meaning you won’t have to compete with other players for resources or fragments.
Surveying Dig Sites
To begin excavating at a dig site, you’ll need to use the Survey ability, found in your spellbook under the profession tab. This ability is key to locating and unearthing artifact fragments.
Step 1
Travel to a dig site marked on your map and use the Survey ability. This will spawn a telescope on a tripod, indicating the direction and distance to an artifact fragment.
Step 2
Observe the direction the telescope is pointing. The color of the telescope will indicate how far away you are from the artifact fragment. Red signifies a distant location, yellow means you are getting closer, and green indicates the fragment is very near, within approximately 30 yards.
Step 3
Move in the direction the telescope points and use Survey again. Continue this process, following the telescope’s direction and color cues, until an artifact fragment appears instead of the telescope.
Once you have looted 3 fragments from a dig site, that site is depleted, and a new dig site will appear elsewhere on the continent map.
Tip: After digging up an artifact, use Survey again immediately. Sometimes, another fragment will be located in the same immediate area.
Solving Artifact Projects
Upon looting your first artifact fragment, you’ll initiate a research project associated with a specific race. As you gather more fragments, you can click the “Solve” button to complete the artifact project. Any excess fragments you collect will automatically contribute to starting a new project of the same race.
Each time you successfully solve an artifact of a particular race, you will be assigned another new artifact project of that same race.
It’s important to note that the research projects you receive are random. This means you may need to complete multiple projects of the same race to obtain the specific artifact you are seeking.
Archaeology Races
Dig sites are categorized into nine distinct archaeology races. The race associated with a dig site determines the type of fragments you will obtain when surveying at that location.
| Skill Requirement | Zone | Race |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastern Kingdoms/Kalimdor | Fossil, Night Elf, Troll, Dwarf |
| 300 | Outland | Draenei, Orc |
| 375 | Northrend | Nerubian, Vrykul |
| 450 | Uldum | Tol’vir |
Keystones
When excavating fragments at dig sites, you have a chance to find keystones such as Troll Tablet, Highborne Scroll, and Dwarf Rune Stone. These keystones can be used to accelerate your research progress.
Some artifact projects have slots where you can insert a keystone. While not every artifact has these slots, rare artifacts often allow for the use of two or even three keystones at once. Using a keystone will grant you an additional 12 fragments towards your current project.
The table below lists the keystones associated with each race:
| Race | Keystone |
|---|---|
| Troll | Troll Tablet |
| Night Elf | Highborne Scroll |
| Dwarf | Dwarf Rune Stone |
| Fossil | No Keystone |
| Orc | Orc Blood Text |
| Draenei | Draenei Tome |
| Nerubian | Nerubian Obelisk |
| Vrykul | Vrykul Rune Stick |
| Tol’vir | Tol’vir Hieroglyphic |
Rare Artifacts
While most solved artifacts are common items intended for vendor sale, like the Skull-Shaped Planter, there’s always a chance to discover rare artifacts. These coveted finds include mounts, pets, toys, and Bind-on-Account (BoA) armor and weapons, making Archaeology a rewarding pursuit for collectors.
Leveling Cataclysm Archaeology
1-50
To efficiently level Archaeology from 1 to 50, simply survey dig sites. During this initial phase, it’s recommended to save all the fragments you collect and refrain from solving any artifacts just yet. Surveying dig sites will grant you skill points up to level 50. Saving fragments will be more beneficial for faster leveling later.
50-525
Once you reach Archaeology skill level 50, surveying dig sites will no longer grant skill increases. This is the point to start solving the artifact projects you’ve accumulated fragments for.
Solving any artifact, regardless of its race, will grant you 5 skill points (or 15 for rare artifacts). Leveling Archaeology from 50 to 525 typically requires approximately 25-30 hours of gameplay.
Remember to visit an Archaeology trainer as you progress through these skill levels to learn new ranks:
- 50-75: Journeyman
- 125-150: Expert
- 200-225: Artisan
- 275-300: Master
- 350-375: Grand Master
- 425-450: Illustrious Grand Master
