# Ancient city finder

Updated on 2026-10-19. Source: https://mcseeder.com/tools/ancient-city-finder/

Find the closest ancient cities in any Minecraft seed, Java 1.19+ or Bedrock, with coords and distance. They're hidden at Y -51 in the deep dark.

Ancient cities sit at Y -51 in the deep dark, and there's nothing on the surface to give them away. Type your seed and where you are, and you'll get the closest ones with coords, distance and direction. Same as /locate structure ancient_city, but without cheats, on any version from 1.19.

Java and Bedrock put them in different spots for the same seed, so double check the switch. Then dig down, carefully: the warden lives down there, and it hears everything.

The tool runs in the browser: [open it](https://mcseeder.com/tools/ancient-city-finder/).

## How to use it

1. Pick Java or Bedrock and a version (1.19 or newer).
2. Type your seed and your X and Z (empty means 0, 0).
3. The closest ancient cities show up as you type. Copy the coords or a /tp command, or hit the pin icon to see one on the seed map.
4. Go there and dig down to Y -51, slowly. Once inside, sneak, walk on wool and stay away from the shriekers.

## Questions

**How deep is an ancient city?** The floor is at Y -51, in the deep dark under the mountains. The X and Z here are its center, so don't dig straight into the middle of it: dig down a bit to the side and walk in.

**What's inside an ancient city?** Loot you can't find anywhere else: disc fragments (nine of them make music disc 5), echo shards for a recovery compass, Swift Sneak books and armor trims. And the warden, who only shows up when a shrieker calls it. The full loot list is on the [wiki](https://minecraft.wiki/w/Ancient_City).

**How do I get in without waking up the warden?** Sneak, walk on wool and stay away from the sculk shriekers: after a few screams, a shrieker summons the [warden](https://minecraft.wiki/w/Warden). It's blind, but it can hear and smell you, and you're not supposed to fight it. If it comes out, run.

**Can I get a seed with an ancient city near spawn?** Yep! In the [seed finder](https://mcseeder.com/finder/) pick Ancient City as the structure and a range, and you'll get seeds with one near spawn, Java or Bedrock.

See also: [Structure finder](https://mcseeder.com/tools/structure-finder/) · [Village finder](https://mcseeder.com/tools/village-finder/) · [Trial chamber finder](https://mcseeder.com/tools/trial-chamber-finder/) · [Find a seed with an ancient city near spawn](https://mcseeder.com/finder/) · [See your seed on the map](https://mcseeder.com/seed/?from=tools).