Antiquities Grind Guide Scrying & Excavation Leveling for ESO (Elder Scrolls Online)

Welcome to the Antiquities Grind/ Leveling Guide for ESO (Elder Scrolls Online) which will show you how to level up the Scrying and Excavation skill-line fast. You can already find a basic Antiquities Guide that explains the whole system on the website. This guide here will focus on getting you from level 1 to the maximum level as fast as possible.

Thanks to Inklings (Twitch, Twitter) for sharing the datasheet he created for the Antiquities system.

Table of Contents

Experience Points
Leads Experience Gain
Time to Grind!
Mythic Item Leads

Related Guides

Experience Points Antiquities

To reach the maximum level in the Antiquities system in ESO you will have to gain a total of 700 points for the Scrying and Excavation skill-line. They level up in a similar speed and achievements also count towards experience points.

Level	Experience Points
1-2	8
2-3	12
3-4	30
4-5	40
5-6	60
6-7	85
7-8	115
8-9	150
9-10	200

Leads Experience Gain

Depending on the quality of the lead that you work on, you will gain a different amount of experience points. At first, you will only be able to use green leads, once you reach level 3 you can also work on blue leads and so on.

You can get green, blue, purple, gold leads at any level. However, you will need a specific level to actually be able to use the leads! So for example, you can get gold leads even if you are at level 1 or you don’t have the skill-line at all, but you can only use them (scry, excavate) when you are level 7.

Lead Quality	Experience Points Gained	Unlocked at Level
Green – “Simple”	1	1
Blue – “Intermediate”	3	3
Purple – “Advanced”	5	5
Gold – “Master”	10	7
Red – “Ultimate”	10	10

Time To Grind!

Now that the basics are covered, how do we get to level 10 as fast as possible in the Antiquities System?

Level 1-3 Grind

By far the fastest way to get from level 1 to level 5 is in Artaeum. The zone is very small, that means you don’t have to run very far to get to the next digging site, that way you can repeat this process a lot faster, whereas on bigger maps you will have to travel further.

IMPORTANT!

Once you obtained the scrying and excavation skill-line like shown in the other Antiquities basics guide, you will get a green lead for each zone, Artaeum included.
The basic green lead that you get in each zone can be repeated as many times as you want, making it very easy to pump your level up to 3.

Now all you have to do is grind with the green lead in Artaeum (or any other place) and repeat the process till you hit level 3. The green lead can be used as many times as you want, therefore you can always instantly repeat the process and gain experience!

Level 3-5 Grind

From level 3 to 5 we also stay in Artaeum for the fastest leveling process. With level 3 you will be able to use blue leads. Once you finish the basic green lead it will always include a blue lead as a reward. And there we already have our next hamster wheel.

Complete the green lead, obtain a blue lead from the reward, complete the blue lead. That way you gain 4 experience points (1 from green, 3 from blue).
The blue lead will disappear, time to complete the green lead again to obtain the blue lead through the reward.
Repeat till you hit level 5.

Image: Here you can see once you complete the green lead you will always obtain a blue lead.

Level 5-7 Grind

Here is where it gets a bit more interesting, the concept is the same, but now we are going through ALL the zones in The Elder Scrolls Online. We will once again start with Artaeum.

Complete the green lead, obtain a blue lead from the reward, complete the blue lead, obtain a purple lead from the reward, complete the purple lead. That way you gain 9 experience points (1 from green, 3 from blue, 5 from purple).
Both the blue lead and purple lead will disappear once you have completed them.

Now we have the problem that we can’t repeat this process, because the purple lead won’t come back! Only the green lead and the blue lead can be farmed like this.

Solution: Repeat the process in ALL ZONES. So we can do the green lead, blue lead, purple lead and move onto the next zone. That is possible because remember, we get a green lead in each zone as a “freebie”.

That should get you to level 7 for both scrying and excavation. Now you can technically already use gold leads, to get the different parts needed for a Mythic Item.

Level 7-10

To make the last jump to level 10 we will already focus on getting gold leads (or any other lead). That way you can already be productive while you are grinding it up.

The best ways to farm leads:

Treasure Chests
World Bosses
Psijic Rifts
Public Dungeons (Bosses & Treasure Chests)
Thieves Troves
Random Monsters

You can find a full list of all the lead drop locations in the Antiquties Location List Guide.

With this method you can already get plenty of leads before even reaching level 10!

Mythic Item Leads

Here you will find the locations of all the different pieces that need to be obtained to create an item. You need to be LEVEL 7, otherwise you won’t be able to use gold leads. All the Mythic item leads are gold quality! (Note: You can already get gold leads on a lower level, but you won’t be able to use them.)

You can also find a full list of all Mythic Items here:

https://eso-hub.com/en/sets/category/mythic

Shapeshifter’s Chain (Mythic Item)

Link: Shapeshifter’s Chain

You need 5 items to be able to create the Mythic item Shapeshifter’s Chain. Location of the 5 pieces:

Glendumbra – Length of Sharpened Lead – Spindleclutch 2 Dungeon last boss
Blackwood – Reinforced Clasp Lead – Public Dungeon Silent Hall, Wootwhisperer Boss, Vor’Chul The Beastbreaker Boss
Vaults of Madness – Chain of the Bone Goliath Lead – Vaults of Madness Dungeon last boss
Western Skyrim & The Reach – Chain of the Vampire Lead – Harrowstorms in The Reach & Western Skyrim
Craglorn – Chain of the Werewolf Lead – Hircine’s Haunt delve, all bosses

Gaze of Sithis (Mythic Item)

Link: Gaze of Sithis

You need 5 items to be able to create the Mythic item Gaze of Sithis. Location of the 5 pieces:

Blackwood – Glass Skeletal Visage Lead – Public Dungeon Zenithar’s Abbey, all bosses
Shadowfen – Pad-Sa Shark Teeth Lead – Dungeon Knbobra Kwama Mine
Deshaan – Niss’wo Sacramental Wraps Lead – Public Dungeon Forgotten Crypt, All Bosses
Vivec Outlaws Refugee – Preserved Wraxu Feathers Lead – “Remains-Silent” NPC in any Outlaws Refugee. Pick: “Have any equipment today” option. Drop is RNG based. Need “Shadowy Supplier” passive unlocked from Dark Bortherhood Skillline. (Image)
Shadowfen – Ritual Circlet Lead – Cradle of Shadows last boss

Harpooner’s Wading Kilt (Mythic Item)

Link: Harpooner’s Wading Kilt

Learn more about the Mythic set in the Harpooner’s Wading Kilt opinion video.

You need 5 items to be able to create the Mythic item Harpooner’s Wading Kilt. Location of the 5 pieces:

Murkmire – Wolf-Tail Sash Lead – Murkmire Foul Fishing Spots
Blackwood – Kothringi-Cut Leather Lead – World Boss Death Wart, World Boss Sul-Xan Ritualists
Shadowfen – Bog-Blue Jasper Fetish Lead – Ruins of Mazzatun Dungeon last boss
Shadowfen – Tide-Glass Beads Lead – Waterplants (Nirnroot, Water Hyacinth etc), Pure Water Node, Water Skin
Bal Foyen – Silverweave Cord Lead – Covenant Enemies, most likely all enemies

Death Dealers’s Fete (Mythic Item)

Link: Death Dealers’s Fete

You need 5 items to be able to create the Mythic item Death Dealer’s Fete. Location of the 5 pieces:

Dragonstar Arena – Sturdy Silver Prongs Lead – Dragonstar Arena last chest after endboss
Imperial City – Carved Signet Base Lead – Imperial City Upstair Bosses
Blackwood – Warm Asymmetrical Ruby Lead – Oblivion Portal final Chest
Cyrodiil – Weighted Spiked Bridge Lead – Rewards from the Worthy Mail Box
Craglorn – Wide Barbed Shank Lead – Anomalies in Craglorn in the reward treasure chest, Nirncrux Mines

Pearls of Ehlnofey

You need 5 items to be able to create the Mythic item Pearls of Ehlnofey. Location of the 5 pieces:

Auridon – Aetherquartz Prayer Beads – Ondil Auridon Delve Boss
Grahtwood – Coral Clasp – Public Dungeon Bosses
Rivenspire – Great Eltheric Pearl – Crypt of Hearts 2 Last Boss
Auridon – Nilumin River Pearls – Banished Cells 1 Last Boss
The Reach – Silver Strand of Syrabane – Safeboxes

Ring of the Pale Order

You need 5 items to be able to create the Mythic item Ring of the Pale Order. Location of the 5 pieces:

Bangkorai – Aurmine Ancestral Signet – Chests
Alik’r Desert – Direnni Elegy Loop – Coldrock Diggings Delve Boss
Wrothgar – Onyx Accent Stones – World Boss
Glenumbra – Order-Etched Gallery Rail – Bad Man’s Hallow Trash Monsters
The Reach – Pale Order’s Golden Band – Nighthollow Keep (Blackreach: Arkthzand Cavern, east side.) Follow the way, down the stairs on the right, read the “Ancient Text” paper on the table. (Long Respawn Time) (Click here to see location)

Bloodlord’s Embrace

You need 5 items to be able to create the Mythic item Bloodlord’s Embrace. Location of the 5 pieces:

Rivenspire – Thirsting Girdle – Last Boss in Crypts of Hearts 1
Coldharbour – Sanguine Doublet – Public Dungeon Boss Village of the Lost
Glenumbra – Goblet Gorget – Spindleclutch (The Whisperer)
Shadowfen – Fanged Cuirass – Public Dungeon Boss (Sanguine’s Demense)
Imperial City Sewers (Dig site is in Khenarthi’s Roost) – Hecatomb Tassets – General Kryozote Boss in Imperial City Sewers (Most likely all bosses drop it)

Malacath’s Band of Brutality

You need 5 items to be able to create the Mythic item Malacath’s Band of Brutality. Location of the 5 pieces:

Betnikh – Malacath’s Brutal Scourge Hoop – Random Monsters
Wrothgar – Malacath’s Brutal Might Loop – Public Dungeon Bosses (Old Orsinium)
Stormhaven – Malacath’s Brutal Ritual Oil – Public Dungeon Bosses (Bonesnap Ruins)
Imperial City (Dig site is in Bal Foyen) – Malacath’s Brutal Rune Core – Imperial City Upper District Bosses
Reaper’s March – Malacath’s Brutal Ritual Dust – World Bosses

Ring of the Wild Hunt

You need 5 items to be able to create the Mythic item Ring of the Wild Hunt. Location of the 5 pieces:

Greenshade – Symbol of Y’ffre – World Bosses
Grahtwood – Face of the Serpent – Elden Hollow Last Boss
Glenumbra – Band of Water – Public Dungeon Bosses Bad Man’s Hallow
Malabal Tor – Face of the Wolf Beast – World Bosses
Murkmire – Charm of the Shapeless – World Bosses, Teeth of Sithis + Tsofeer Cavern Delves

Snow Treaders

You need 5 items to be able to create the Mythic item Snow Treaders. Location of the 5 pieces:

Eastmarch – Snowy Sabre Cat Fur Strip – Direfrost Keep (Drodda of Icereach)
The Rift – Petrified Snow-Cedar – World Bosses
Bleackrock Isle – Auri-El Metal Carvings – Random Monsters
Cyrodiil – Magicka-Imbued Metal Plates – Raelynne Ahham Boss in Underpall Cave, Cyrodiil.
Western Skyrim – Glacial Metal Rivets – Blackmaw Boss in Labyrinthian (Probably any boss in that dungeon)

Thrassian Stranglers

You need 5 items to be able to create the Mythic item Thrassian Stranglers. Location of the 5 pieces:

Summerset – Nautilus Shell Guards – Public Dungeon Bosses, All World Bosses in Karnwasten
Auridion – Inert Anemone Inlay – All World Bosses
Artaeum – Coral Plating – Artaeum Fishing
Artaeum/Summerset (Digsite in Eyevea) – Sticky Integument Leather – Psijic Portals in Artaeum or Summerset
Stros M’Kai – Bouyant Steel – Fishing (Saltwater)

Torc of Tonal Constancy

You need 5 items to be able to create the Mythic item Torc of Tonal Constancy. Location of the 5 pieces:

Alik’r Desert – Torc Strand of Lore – World Bosses
Bangkorai – Torc Strand of Song – Captain Blackheart in Blackheart Haven Dungeon
Deshaan – Torc Strand of Power – World Bosses
Craglorn – Torc Throat Guards – Anka’Ra Crucible World Boss Event, Chests Near World Boss Event
Stonefalls – Torc Tonal Focus – Bosses in Crow’s Wood

Skill-Lines Showcase Antiquities System ESO

In this section of the Antiquities Guide you can find a full list of all the obtainable passives from both skill-lines.

Scrying Skill-line

You can find the full Scrying Skill-line on ESO-hub.com

Excavation Skill-line

You can find the full Excavation Skill-line on ESO-hub.com