Ancient Artifacts

Overview

Ancient Artifacts is the umbrella term for all buried collectibles in Pokemon Pokopia. There are three distinct categories of artifacts: Lost Relics (decorative and crafting items), Fossils (prehistoric Pokemon remains), and Mysterious Slates (Unown-engraved tablets needed to unlock Mew). All three types are found by breaking glowing Buried Treasure blocks with Rock Smash, and many can be located more reliably with the Dowsing Machine.

The artifacts in Pokopia tell the story of a world where human civilization has long since crumbled and Pokemon have inherited the ruins. Lost Relics are items left behind by the humans who once lived here, Fossils preserve ancient Pokemon from a deeper past, and Mysterious Slates carry Unown script that predates both.

How to Find Ancient Artifacts

All Ancient Artifacts are discovered the same way. Look for Buried Treasure blocks, which are special blocks with golden light shining out of them. These blocks appear across all five regions: Withered Wasteland, Bleak Beach, Rocky Ridges, Sparkling Skylands, and Palette Town. Break them open with Rock Smash to reveal whatever is inside. The contents are random; you might get a Lost Relic, a Fossil piece, a Mysterious Slate, or occasionally a Music CD or Doll.

Buried Treasure blocks refresh every day at 5:00 AM (system clock), so you can return to the same areas each day for new chances. The drops are not region-specific. A Fossil that belongs to an Aerodactyl can show up in Bleak Beach just as easily as Rocky Ridges.

Dowsing Machine

The Dowsing Machine is a reusable tool that makes finding Buried Treasure blocks far easier. You receive it by completing Hitmonchan's request "Check What's Up There" in Withered Wasteland. To use it, equip the Dowsing Machine, have a Pokemon with the Search specialty following you, then press and hold A. The device beeps faster as you approach a treasure block. Use Rock Smash to dig it up.

Search Specialty Pokemon

You need a Pokemon with the Search specialty following you for the Dowsing Machine to function. There are 27 Search Pokemon in total. Some of the most accessible ones include:

Mosslax Sweet Buff

Feeding Mosslax its preferred foods increases the Sweet buff, which raises the discovery rate for buried items. Keeping Mosslax well-fed while artifact hunting noticeably increases the number of Buried Treasure blocks that appear in a given area.

Lost Relics

Lost Relics are the largest category of Ancient Artifacts, split into two sizes. They represent items left behind by the humans who once inhabited the Kanto region before it became Pokopia. All Lost Relics must be appraised by Professor Tangrowth (the only Pokemon with the Appraise specialty) before they can be used or traded.

Large Lost Relics

There are 37 Large Lost Relics in total. After appraisal, these become furniture items themed after Pokemon. Examples include the Avalugg Table, Pikachu Sofa, Horsea Fountain, Snorlax Bed, and Sudowoodo Coat Rack. Some Large Relics also unlock crafting recipes when appraised, letting you build more of the associated furniture.

Small Lost Relics

There are 46 or more Small Lost Relics. These are references to items from past Pokemon games, including Miracle Seed, Choice Band, Spell Tag, Silk Scarf, and many others. After appraisal, Small Relics can be framed and displayed as wall decorations. Some Small Relics also attract specific Pokemon to habitats where they are displayed.

Appraisal and Trading

Bring unidentified relics to Professor Tangrowth for appraisal. Tangrowth is found in Rocky Ridges near the Museum. After appraisal, you have two options: keep the relic for personal display, or trade it to Gimmighoul at the Museum. Gimmighoul accepts appraised Lost Relics and gives furniture items in return. This is also how you obtain the exclusive Pop Art furniture series.

Detonating Relics

Some Lost Relic spots will detonate when you try to dig them up. If a relic starts sparking or glowing red after using Rock Smash, immediately use Water Gun on it to defuse it before picking it up. If you do not use Water Gun in time, the relic will break and be lost. This does not apply to Fossils or Mysterious Slates.

Fossils

Fossils are a separate category from Lost Relics, though they are found in the same Buried Treasure blocks. There are 22 fossil pieces representing 9 fossil Pokemon. Fossils do not need appraisal. Instead, you bring them directly to the Museum in Rocky Ridges and place them on Pedestals (Exhibition Stands) to assemble fossil display habitats.

Once a fossil display is fully assembled, the corresponding fossil Pokemon spawns at the habitat as a real, recruitable Pokemon with its own specialties. Fossil Pokemon fill Habitat Dex entries #193 through #201. For the full breakdown, see the dedicated Fossils and Museum article.

Mysterious Slates

Mysterious Slates are stone tablets engraved with Unown symbols. There are 28 Mysterious Slates in total, one for each Unown form (26 letters of the alphabet plus ! and ?). Each slate has the Unown symbol on its back; rotate it 180 degrees to see which letter it represents.

Mysterious Slates are placed on the Mysterious Mural, a wall covered in Unown symbols found in an underground chamber in Withered Wasteland. The entrance is hidden behind breakable blocks near the Pokemon Center. Match each slate to the corresponding Unown symbol on the Mural. Completing all 28 slots unlocks Mew, the final Pokemon in the Pokopia Pokedex. The game will not give you a duplicate slate until you have found all unique ones.

Complete Artifact Counts

In total, there are over 130 Ancient Artifacts to find across all categories. Full collection is a major post-game goal and requires many real-time days of daily visits to mining areas.

Differences Between Categories

Tips

• Always bring a Search specialty Pokemon and the Dowsing Machine when hunting for artifacts. The combination dramatically increases your find rate.

• Buried Treasure blocks respawn daily at 5:00 AM. Visit each region's mining areas once per day for consistent progress.

• Feed Mosslax to raise the Sweet buff, which increases discovery rates for all buried items.

• If a relic starts sparking after you dig it up, use Water Gun immediately to defuse it. Failing to do so destroys the relic.

• Sell duplicate Fossils at the Pokemon Center for approximately 1,000 points each.

• Mysterious Slates will not drop duplicates until you have found all 28 unique ones, so keep hunting even if progress feels slow.

• Check the Pokedex map for greyed-out areas. Many artifact-rich zones are hidden behind breakable walls or elevated terrain.

• Have Professor Tangrowth appraise all Lost Relics before trading them to Gimmighoul. Unappraised relics cannot be traded.