Becoming a Legion Archaeologist: Can You Dig It?

When the Burning Legion invaded Azeroth, the Broken Isles became both the front lines of a war—and a great opportunity to dig a bit deeper into some of Azeroth's rich history.

If you haven’t caught up on what’s new for Archaeologists in Legion, now is the perfect time to start digging in to this secondary profession.

Excavating the Broken Isles

Before your start exploring the Broken Isles, there are a several key differences Archaeologists will want to note:

• There are three active digsites available at any given time. Each consists of nine areas of discovery within the digsite.
• Digsites in the Broken Isles tend to be somewhat smaller than elsewhere in Azeroth, requiring less travel.
• You’ll find fewer artifacts of common quality, potentially leading to more Pristine finds.

Get started by visiting Dariness the Learned in the Archaeology building in Dalaran, and then keep an eye out for your Excavator’s Notebook when you’re working in dig sites, as that item unlocks your path from Archaeology skill level 700 to 800.

World Questing With Shovels

Once you’ve reached player-character level 110, visit Dariness the Learned to learn about her current Archaeology quest. She offers a rare find for you every two weeks, and this is currently the only way to obtain rare finds in the Broken Isles. It won’t be easy, but all you need do is channel your inner Harrison Jones. The path to discovery is fraught with danger!

Dariness’s quests can require you to commit some time to the profession, as you to travel the isles and set your pick to digging. Each quest is related to a specific type of site, such as Demonic in Stormheim, Highborne in Azsuna, or the Highmountain Tauren in Highmountain, and they each result in rewarding a unique rare item. These rewards include:

• Usable gear, such as the Spear of Rethu.
• Utility items, such as the Starlight Beacon.
• A key that unlocks access to an extra dungeon boss.
• Toys, such as the Crystalline Eye of Undravius.
• An item that sells for 5,000 gold.
• Your very own Wyrmy Tunkins.
• The Spirit of Eche’ro mount.

Feel the Earth Move Under Your Feet

A new feature in Legion is the Standing On It buff—an Archaeology improvement that tells you when you’re standing close enough to a find to use Survey and dig it up. Now, when you’re within range of your prize, you can explore with your feet, and you don’t need to guess where to dig. Most importantly—Standing On It applies to all dig sites in Azeroth, Draenor, and Outland!

Time Is on Your Side

With the weekly reset every other week, you can get started on the current Archaeology quest, and you have up to 14 days to complete it. There are currently 13 such quests in rotation, and completing them means earning achievements. The No Stone Unturned achievement, earned when you complete 250 Legion digsites, rewards you with the title “The Groundbreaker”, and when you obtain eight of the 13 rares from Archaeology quests, you’ll receive the This Side Up achievement and unlock a special Artifact weapon tint.

Tip: Get yourself a good pair of gloves to wear while you’re out surveying, and enchant them with Enchant Gloves – Legion Surveying. This permanently gives you a boost to your surveying speed, cutting the time you spend digging in half!

Now that you know more, it’s time to pack up your gear and get your hands dirty. Good luck out there!