Archer Pottery Sherd — Minecraft block

Archer Pottery Sherd

Archer Pottery Sherd is brushed from suspicious sand inside desert pyramids at a 12.5% chance per block and displays a bow-drawing figure on a decorated pot face.

Block ID minecraft:archer_pottery_sherd
Mod Vanilla
Game versions
1.21

Description

Archer Pottery Sherd is an archaeological item obtained by brushing the suspicious sand inside desert pyramids, with a 12.5% chance per block — the desert pyramid is the only structure where the Archer sherd generates. Its face carries a stamped silhouette of a figure drawing a bow, a recurring motif found on ancient decorated pots scattered across the Minecraft overworld. Brushing a suspicious block with a brush extracts the sherd and destroys the block. Combining four pottery sherds or bricks of any mix in a 2×2 crafting recipe produces a decorated pot, with each of the four side faces displaying one of the applied items. An archer, hunter, or warrior theme is a natural fit for this motif. Desert pyramids generate in desert biomes and share their suspicious sand loot with the Miner, Prize, and Skull sherds, so each of the few blocks per pyramid is a small discovery. As a purely decorative item, the sherd's value lies entirely in the visual story the assembled pot tells.

Block properties

Item ID minecraft:archer_pottery_sherd
/give command /give @p minecraft:archer_pottery_sherd
Stackable Yes (64)
Renewable No
Java Edition 1.20
Bedrock Edition 1.20.0

Java & Bedrock Edition Guide

How to find the Archer Pottery Sherd in Minecraft

  1. 1

    Craft a brush

    Place a feather in the top slot, a copper ingot in the middle slot, and a stick in the bottom slot of the crafting grid. The brush is the only tool that extracts items from suspicious blocks.

  2. 2

    Locate a desert pyramid

    Desert pyramids are sandstone structures that generate in desert biomes. Each suspicious sand block inside has a 12.5% chance of holding an Archer Pottery Sherd.

  3. 3

    Brush the suspicious sand

    Hold the brush and use it on a suspicious sand block. Particles appear as you brush. Each block drops one item and disappears — it cannot be brushed twice.

  4. 4

    Collect the sherd

    Pick up the Archer Pottery Sherd from the ground. Each pyramid holds only a few suspicious sand blocks, so plan to excavate several pyramids for four sherds.

  5. 5

    Combine four sherds into a decorated pot

    Place four pottery sherds or bricks of any mix in a 2x2 crafting grid. The resulting decorated pot shows each item's design on one of its four side faces.

Tip

Suspicious blocks do not show which item they contain before brushing: the same pyramid sand also hides other sherd patterns, so brush every block you find.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I find the Archer Pottery Sherd?

Brush the suspicious sand inside desert pyramids — each block has a 12.5% chance. The Archer sherd does not generate in desert wells, trail ruins, or ocean ruins.

Can I craft the Archer Pottery Sherd?

No. The Archer Pottery Sherd cannot be crafted. It is obtained only through archaeology by brushing suspicious sand inside desert pyramids.

What do I do with the Archer Pottery Sherd?

Place four pottery sherds or bricks of any mix in a 2x2 crafting grid to create a decorated pot. The Archer Pottery Sherd appears on one face of the finished pot.

Do desert wells or trail ruins contain the Archer sherd?

No. The Archer sherd generates exclusively in desert pyramids; desert wells and trail ruins hide other sherd patterns.

When was the Archer Pottery Sherd added to Minecraft?

The Archer Pottery Sherd was added in Minecraft 1.20 (the Trails & Tales update), released in June 2023, along with the archaeology system and all other pottery sherds.

Can pottery sherds be found in chests or villager trades?

No. Pottery sherds are obtained exclusively through archaeology — brushing suspicious sand or gravel blocks. They do not appear in chest loot tables or villager trades.

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