How to Unlock the Antiquities System in ESO
The Antiquities system adds a treasure-hunting layer to The Elder Scrolls Online, allowing you to scry for hidden relics and excavate them from sites across Tamriel. It is closely tied to the Greymoor chapter and gives you a reason to explore old ruins, remote coastlines, volcanic islands, and familiar zones with a fresh purpose.
Unlocking the feature is straightforward once you know where to begin, but several details can cause confusion. You need access to the correct content, the Antiquarian's Eye tool, and two related skill lines: Scrying and Excavation. The process also works differently depending on whether you play through the base game, ESO Plus, or purchased chapters and DLC separately.
| Requirement or Feature | What You Need to Know |
|---|---|
| Greymoor access | Antiquities are tied to the Greymoor chapter, either through ownership or an active ESO Plus membership that includes the relevant content |
| Starting location | Visit the Antiquarian Circle in Solitude, Western Skyrim |
| Key NPC | Speak with Verita Numida to begin the introductory quest |
| Essential tool | The Antiquarian's Eye helps identify or locate an antiquity dig site |
| Skill lines | Scrying reveals the target and Excavation lets you recover it |
| Main rewards | Mounts, furnishings, motifs, mythic items, treasures, and lore-related collectibles |
Check Your Access To Greymoor Content
Before travelling to Solitude, confirm that your account can use Antiquities. The system arrived with Greymoor, so you need access to the chapter or a current ESO Plus subscription that provides access to its applicable content. Players who own a newer collection may already have Greymoor included, while someone with only the original base game may need to upgrade or purchase access separately.
ESO's catalogue changes across editions and promotions, so check the current store listing rather than relying on an old guide. On console, look through the PlayStation or Xbox version of the Crown Store and chapter bundles. On PC and Mac, confirm the edition attached to your account in the official ESO account page or launcher. Australian players should also watch the final AUD price carefully, as platform stores can show different taxes, discounts, and bundle values.
You do not need to finish the Greymoor main story before starting antiquities. The system is designed as an optional exploration activity, and you can begin the tutorial soon after gaining access to Western Skyrim. ESO Plus is also useful if you want to sample the feature before committing to a permanent chapter purchase, although subscription access can end when the membership expires.
Start The Antiquarian’s Art Quest
Travel to Solitude in Western Skyrim and look for the Antiquarian Circle. If the city is not yet available on your map, use a wayshrine, ask a guildmate to travel to you, or walk into the zone from an adjacent area. Australian players dealing with higher evening latency may find it easier to begin during quieter local hours, particularly if Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane prime time is producing crowded hubs and slower interactions.
Inside the Antiquarian Circle, speak with Verita Numida. She gives you “The Antiquarian's Art”, the introductory quest that explains the basic process. Follow her instructions carefully instead of abandoning the quest after receiving the tool, because the tutorial introduces both Scrying and Excavation in a controlled way.
The quest teaches you how to use the Antiquarian's Eye, select a lead, scry for the location, travel to the marked area, and excavate the item. You receive practical guidance on the board used for scrying and the excavation site interface. Once the tutorial is complete, the system is available throughout eligible zones, and you can pursue leads found during normal play.
The Antiquarian's Eye is not a combat weapon or a permanent replacement for your regular ability bar. It is a special tool used while investigating an antiquity. Assigning it to a quickslot can make it easier to use, especially when you are moving between several possible dig sites in a large zone.
Learn How Scrying And Excavation Work
Scrying is the first half of an antiquity hunt. When you select a lead, the Scrying interface presents a pattern of connected points. Your aim is to reveal enough of the board to identify the location. The basic method involves selecting a starting point and linking nearby nodes, gradually expanding the revealed area.
Early leads are forgiving, but the system becomes more demanding as you pursue higher-quality treasures. Passive abilities in the Scrying skill line improve your ability to connect points, reveal clues, and handle more complex patterns. Level this skill line by successfully scrying for antiquities rather than treating it as a one-time tutorial mechanic.
Once the game identifies a dig site, travel to the marked zone and activate the Antiquarian's Eye if you need help locating the exact spot. A glowing mound or visual marker indicates where to begin Excavation. The excavation grid contains a dirt-covered relic, bonus items, and sometimes unstable terrain that can damage or complicate the recovery process.
Use the Brush to remove dirt, the Hand Brush to generate extra power, and the Shovel to clear larger areas when the conditions are right. Excavation is easier when you first expose the full shape of the main antiquity instead of digging randomly. The Excavation skill line provides passives that improve tool effectiveness, extend the timer, and increase your chance of recovering bonus rewards.
A failed excavation does not usually destroy the lead forever. You may be able to try again, although poor performance can reduce the rewards or cause the site to disappear temporarily. Take a moment to examine the grid before using the strongest tool. This small habit matters when handling valuable leads for mythic items or rare collectibles.
Find Leads And Build Your Skill Lines
Leads are the clues that unlock individual antiquities. Some are obtained from monsters, chests, public dungeons, delves, world bosses, treasure maps, fishing holes, and containers. Others come from merchants, quest rewards, trial content, or specific zones. The lead appears in your Antiquities Codex, where you can check its description, region, difficulty, and remaining time.
Many leads expire after a set period, so do not treat every discovery as something you can store indefinitely. If a valuable lead drops while you are busy, record the destination and try to scry it before the timer ends. This is especially useful for players who split their ESO sessions around work or study in Adelaide, Perth, or regional Australia, where a short evening session may be the only available play window.
The best early routine is to complete simple green antiquities first. They are reliable sources of experience and help you become familiar with the scrying board and excavation grid. Blue and purple antiquities provide stronger rewards and additional experience, while gold leads are generally associated with high-value items and can require deeper investment in both skill lines.
Antiquities can also support other playstyles. A tank collecting materials between dungeon runs, a healer taking a break from group content, or a damage dealer travelling between daily quests can all progress the system without changing their build. For example, someone working through support content may pause between activities covered in this Templar healer guide to excavate a lead before returning to a trial group.
The system rewards broad participation in ESO, so do not assume that you must spend hours farming one location. Run dungeons, open chests, defeat bosses, fish, and inspect merchants as you play normally. Some leads are tied to specific activities, but a varied routine usually produces a steady stream of discoveries.
Use Antiquities Across Tamriel
After completing the tutorial, you can pursue antiquities in many zones, including areas outside Western Skyrim. Each lead shows the region connected to its dig site, and the map helps you plan a route around wayshrines. Some locations are in older zones, while others are connected to later chapters, DLC, or particular types of content.
The rewards make the system worthwhile beyond the initial novelty. Antiquities can provide furnishing pieces, treasure that can be sold, motifs, mounts, emotes, titles, and mythic item pieces. Mythic items are assembled by finding several separate leads, so unlocking the system is only the first step. You must continue exploring and improve both skill lines to access the most demanding discoveries.
Pay attention to the distinction between a lead and a completed antiquity. A lead is evidence pointing towards an item; it is not the reward itself. Once you successfully scry and excavate it, the completed entry is recorded in your Antiquities Codex. Repeated green and blue entries can also be useful for levelling, even when the final item has little value.
The player economy adds another practical consideration. Treasure rewards can be sold to merchants, while motifs, furnishings, and some collectible-related items may matter more to a guild trader than to an NPC vendor. Australian players browsing guild stores from Melbourne or Sydney should compare several listings rather than converting every price mentally from US dollars. ESO's market is priced in in-game gold, and regional play time can affect when popular guild traders have their busiest buying and selling periods.
The lore side of antiquities is equally appealing. Each discovery connects a small object to a larger history involving ancient cultures, lost battles, Daedric influence, and forgotten explorers. Players who enjoy following long-running fictional sagas may appreciate the same sense of piecing together scattered clues found in a Egghead saga overview, although ESO places that discovery directly into exploration and gameplay.
A practical first session is easy to organise. Confirm Greymoor access, travel to Solitude, speak with Verita Numida, complete “The Antiquarian's Art”, and finish the initial scrying and excavation exercises. Then use simple leads to raise Scrying and Excavation before attempting more complicated targets. Keep the Antiquarian's Eye available, check lead timers regularly, and treat every chest, boss, delve, and fishing spot as a possible source of your next clue.