Minecraft suspicious sand and gravel guide: Uses, location, loot, and more

Minecraft's archeology system has finally been introduced in the 1.20 Trails & Tales update after initially being postponed from the Caves & Cliffs update. By using a brush, players can excavate suspicious sand and gravel blocks to collect loot items, including new ones like sniffer eggs and pottery sherds.

Although suspicious sand and gravel are the crux of Minecraft's new archeology feature, there are certain things that players should be aware of. These blocks are incredibly fragile and don't operate like many of their counterparts. Since this is the case, it's a good idea to review how they operate.

Minecraft fans who are excited to check out these two new blocks in the 1.20 update should brush up on some information about them first.

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Examining the two new suspicious blocks introduced in Minecraft 1.20

Suspicious sand

Currently, suspicious sand blocks in Minecraft 1.20 naturally generate in new rooms found underneath desert pyramids. They can also appear at the bottom of desert wells and generate within ocean ruins structures found in warm temperature oceans.

Suspicious sand features a slightly altered texture from ordinary sand, and more cracks and holes can be seen on its surface. These blocks are influenced by gravity and will break when they fall without dropping anything. The same can be said if broken by hand or with a tool, even if the tool is enchanted with Silk Touch.

Suspicious sand in Minecraft can drop as an obtainable item if it falls from more than 30 blocks in height, falls onto an upward-facing bubble column, or falls through two cobweb blocks stacked on top of each other. However, the block won't retain the loot items found inside.

The primary use of suspicious sand is to brush it with the new brush tool in Minecraft. After being brushed for a few seconds, it will release any items it contains and become an ordinary sand block. The items contained within suspicious sand will depend on where the block is generated.

Items found in suspicious sand (Desert Pyramids):

• Archer Pottery Sherds
• Emeralds
• Gunpowder
• Miner Pottery Sherds
• Prize Pottery Sherds
• Skull Pottery Sherds
• TNT Blocks
• Diamonds

Items found in suspicious sand (Desert Wells):

• Arms Up Pottery Sherds
• Brewer Pottery Sherds
• Bricks
• Emeralds
• Sticks
• Suspicious Stew

Items found in suspicious sand (Warm Ocean Ruins):

• Coal
• Emeralds
• Wheat
• Wooden Hoes
• Gold Nuggets
• Angler Pottery Sherds
• Shelter Pottery Sherds
• Snort Pottery Sherds
• Sniffer Eggs
• Iron Axes

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Suspicious gravel

Much like suspicious sand in Minecraft, suspicious gravel is a gravity-influenced block that is incredibly fragile but contains loot items that will pop out when brushed. These items are also dependent on where the suspicious gravel block naturally generates within the world.

Like suspicious sand, Minecraft players won't be able to break the block to pick it up in most circumstances. It can also be dropped if it falls from 30 blocks in height, through two vertical cobweb blocks, or onto a bubble column. Otherwise, players will need to use commands or Creative Mode to collect the block.

Suspicious gravel naturally generates within Minecraft's cold temperature ocean ruins structures as well as the new trail ruins structures introduced in the 1.20 update. Brushing suspicious gravel will allow its loot to emerge and will convert the block back into an ordinary gravel block.

Unlike suspicious sand blocks, suspicious gravel found within trail ruins has two separate loot tables in Minecraft 1.20. Depending on the block that is brushed, common or rare items can pop out of the block that yield different items.

Items found in suspicious gravel (Cold Ocean Ruins):

• Coal
• Emeralds
• Wheat
• Wooden Hoes
• Gold Nuggets
• Blade Pottery Sherds
• Explorer Pottery Sherds
• Mourner Pottery Sherds
• Plenty Pottery Sherds
• Iron Axes

Items found in suspicious gravel (Trail Ruins - Common):

• Blue Dye
• Bricks
• Brown Candles
• Emeralds
• Green Candles
• Light Blue Dye
• Orange Dye
• Purple Candles
• Red Candles
• Wheat
• White Dye
• Wooden Hoes
• Yellow Dye
• Beetroot Seeds
• Blue Stained Glass Panes
• Coal
• Dead Bushes
• Flower Pots
• Leads
• Light Blue Stained Glass Panes
• Magenta Stained Glass Panes
• Oak Hanging Signs
• Pink Stained Glass Panes
• Purple Stained Glass Panes
• Red Stained Glass Panes
• Spruce Hanging Signs
• String
• Wheat Seeds
• Yellow Stained Glass Panes
• Gold Nuggets

Items found in suspicious gravel (Trail Ruins - Rare):

• Burn Pottery Sherds
• Danger Pottery Sherds
• Relic Music Discs
• Friend Pottery Shards
• Heart Pottery Sherds
• Heartbreak Pottery Sherds
• Host Armor Trim Smithing Templates
• Howl Pottery Sherds
• Raiser Armor Trim Smithing Templates
• Shaper Armor Trim Smithing Templates
• Sheaf Pottery Sherds
• Wayfinder Armor Trim Smithing Templates

In the future, Minecraft may add even more uses and loot to suspicious sand and gravel blocks. Mojang hasn't made any announcements to indicate this, but archeology is a new feature in the popular sandbox game, so it will likely receive more developments down the road.