Where to Find Echo Shard in Minecraft
A rare item found in Ancient City chests. Used to craft a Recovery Compass that points to your last death location.
Echo Shard at a glance
Echo Shard, a rare treasure item filed under Miscellaneous in Minecraft, comes from one place, and this page walks through all 2 methods that end with Echo Shard in your inventory, fastest one first. Deep Dark (Ancient Cities) is the address for Echo Shard, and there you find it in Ancient City chests. Depth matters here: the relevant Y-level range is Y -51 (Ancient City level). Finding Echo Shard is rated hard (4/5): expect a real expedition: the right dimension, structure, or mob has to line up first.
Primary Location
Deep Dark (Ancient Cities)
Y-Level
Y -51 (Ancient City level)
Difficulty
Hard (4/5)
Version Added
1.19
Stack Size
64
Where to Find Echo Shard
Look in Deep Dark (Ancient Cities) for Echo Shard, because no other biome on our list carries Echo Shard. Vertically Echo Shard is tied to the Y -51 (Ancient City level) range, which is the band to dig in rather than wandering at random depths for Echo Shard. Ancient Cities generate in the Deep Dark biome, typically around Y -51. The Deep Dark biome appears below large mountain ranges and is identifiable by Sculk blocks. The main non-crafting route to Echo Shard is looting it from generated structure chests.
Biomes & Dimensions
- Deep Dark (Ancient Cities)
Y-Level Range
Y -51 (Ancient City level)
Best Way to Get Echo Shard
Echo Shard has no crafting recipe, so the efficient approach is to go straight to its source rather than hoping to stumble on it: find it in Ancient City chests. Avoid activating Sculk Shriekers (3 activations summon a Warden). Sneak (shift) to avoid triggering Sculk Sensors near Ancient City chests. Used to craft the Recovery Compass (8 Echo Shards + 1 Compass). Because it is chest loot, the fastest gains come from locating the specific structures listed above and clearing their chests rather than relying on chance encounters. Worth noting on the version of Echo Shard: Added in 1.19 (The Wild Update). Given how rare Echo Shard is, most players treat each one as a milestone, so it is worth keeping it safe in an ender chest until you are ready to put it to use.
All Methods
- 1Found in Ancient City chests
- 2Cannot be crafted or obtained any other way
Tips for Finding Echo Shard
- Ancient Cities generate in the Deep Dark biome, typically around Y -51
- The Deep Dark biome appears below large mountain ranges and is identifiable by Sculk blocks
- Avoid activating Sculk Shriekers (3 activations summon a Warden)
- Sneak (shift) to avoid triggering Sculk Sensors near Ancient City chests
- Used to craft the Recovery Compass (8 Echo Shards + 1 Compass)
Version history of Echo Shard
- Added in 1.19 (The Wild Update)
More notes on Echo Shard
Found only in Ancient City chests in the Deep Dark biome. Combine 8 with a Compass to craft a Recovery Compass.
Items and guides next to Echo Shard
Next to Echo Shard you will run into Recovery Compass and Diamond Hoe, and the reason is usually shared: one biome, one structure or one crafting chain. Everything measured about Echo Shard is on the Echo Shard item page.
View the Echo Shard item pageGetting Echo Shard in practice
Echo shards only exist in ancient city chests, which means a deep dark trip with a Warden in it. Bring wool to muffle your steps and take the loot chests around the edges first: two shards and a compass make a recovery compass, and that is the only thing shards are used for.
What to watch out for with Echo Shard
Echo shards sit in ancient city chests, and the danger is not the warden but the sculk shriekers that summon it. Wool on the floor blocks the sound of your steps, and crouching does the rest, so a stack of wool is the real equipment for the trip.
Frequently asked questions about Echo Shard
Where do you find Echo Shard in Minecraft?
Echo Shard is found in Deep Dark (Ancient Cities). Found in Ancient City chests.
What Y-level is best for Echo Shard?
The relevant range is Y -51 (Ancient City level). Staying within that band is far more efficient than searching at random depths.
Can you craft Echo Shard?
No. Echo Shard cannot be crafted in vanilla Minecraft, so you must obtain it from its in-world source by looting it from Ancient City chests.
How hard is it to find Echo Shard?
Finding Echo Shard is rated hard (4 out of 5): expect a real expedition: the right dimension, structure, or mob has to line up first.
When was Echo Shard added to Minecraft?
Echo Shard was added in the 1.19 update.