Excavate ancient sites layer by layer. Choose your tools wisely — speed risks damaging priceless artifacts.
Archaeology Dig is a free browser-based excavation game that puts you in charge of a real dig site. Choose between five historically inspired locations — Egyptian Tomb, Roman Villa, Viking Settlement, Mayan Temple, and Chinese Palace — then carefully excavate stratified soil layers to uncover artifacts ranging from common pottery to priceless ancient fossils.
The game is played on a cross-section grid of soil. Each cell has a depth layer with a distinct soil color. Three tools are available: the Shovel clears a 3×3 area fast but risks damaging artifacts; the Trowel clears one cell precisely; the Brush is slow but reveals hidden items in full detail and earns bonus points. You have a limited number of turns, so balancing speed against preservation is the core challenge. Complete collections of related artifacts for bonus value.
Did you know? The Terracotta Army was discovered accidentally in 1974 by farmers digging a well — over 8,000 unique soldier statues have been unearthed so far.
There are 5 unique dig sites: Egyptian Tomb, Roman Villa, Viking Settlement, Mayan Temple, and Chinese Palace. Each has its own artifact set spanning multiple historical layers.
Using the Shovel on a cell containing an artifact reduces its value by 50% and marks it as damaged (cracked). To preserve full value, switch to the Trowel or Brush when you suspect an artifact is nearby.
There are 5 stratigraphic layers: Surface, Medieval, Roman, Bronze Age, and Ancient. Each layer has deeper, rarer artifacts. Budget your turns wisely — the Shovel moves fast but the Brush reveals the most valuable intact finds.
Last Updated: April 2026
Archaeology Dig is a free browser-based excavation game that puts you in charge of a real dig site. Choose between five historically inspired locations — Egyptian Tomb, Roman Villa, Viking Settlement, Mayan Temple, and Chinese Palace — then carefully excavate stratified soil layers to uncover artifacts ranging from common pottery to priceless ancient fossils.
Did you know? The Terracotta Army was discovered accidentally in 1974 by farmers digging a well — over 8,000 unique soldier statues have been unearthed so far.
Select a dig site, then use three tools to excavate a 12×10 grid of stratified soil. The Shovel clears a 3×3 area quickly but risks damaging artifacts by 50%. The Trowel clears one cell with no risk. The Brush clears one cell and earns a 30% bonus for intact finds. You have 60 turns — strategic tool use is essential. Collect related artifact sets for bonus points. Rare intact finds trigger a golden glow animation.
There are 5 unique dig sites: Egyptian Tomb, Roman Villa, Viking Settlement, Mayan Temple, and Chinese Palace. Each has its own artifact set spanning multiple historical layers.
Using the Shovel on a cell containing an artifact reduces its value by 50% and marks it as damaged (cracked). To preserve full value, switch to the Trowel or Brush when you suspect an artifact is nearby.
There are 5 stratigraphic layers: Surface, Medieval, Roman, Bronze Age, and Ancient. Each layer has deeper, rarer artifacts. Budget your turns wisely — the Shovel moves fast but the Brush reveals the most valuable intact finds.
Last Updated: April 2026