Desert pyramid

Biome(s)	Desert
Consists of	See Blocks
Can generate in existing chunks	No
First appearances	See History

Desert pyramids are sandstone structures found in deserts that resemble Egyptian pyramids.

Generation[edit]

Desert pyramids naturally generate in desert and desert hills‌^{[BE only]} biomes. They always generate with their floor at y=64, this may cause them to be partially buried.

Structure[edit]

Inside view of a desert pyramid.

Desert pyramids are constructed from normal, chiseled and cut sandstone, orange and blue terracotta, sandstone slabs, and sandstone stairs.

In the center of the pyramid’s ground floor is a single block of blue terracotta. Underneath this terracotta is a 'booby-trapped' hidden chamber with four chests that can each contain very valuable loot. The trap consists of a stone pressure plate (located directly under the blue terracotta), connected to a 3x3x1 grid of TNT.

Preview of the 4 hidden chests with the TNT Trap under the desert pyramid.

Desert pyramids look yellow on maps, similar to sand and sandstone, but with a distinctive shape.

Loot[edit]

See also: Chest loot

Each desert pyramid chest contains items drawn from 2 pools, with the following distribution:

	Stack Size		Weight		# Items	Chance	# Chests
	2–4×	4×	2–4×	4×	# Items	Chance	# Chests
Bone	4–6	1–8	²⁵⁄₂₃₂	¹⁰⁄₅₀	5.216	70.8%	1.4
Rotten Flesh	3–7	1–8	²⁵⁄₂₃₂	¹⁰⁄₅₀	5.216	70.8%	1.4
Gunpowder	—	1–8	—	¹⁰⁄₅₀	3.600	59.0%	1.7
Sand	—	1–8	—	¹⁰⁄₅₀	3.600	59.0%	1.7
String	—	1–8	—	¹⁰⁄₅₀	3.600	59.0%	1.7
Spider Eye	1–3	—	²⁵⁄₂₃₂	—	0.647	28.7%	3.5
Enchanted Book^{[note 1]}	1	—	²⁰⁄₂₃₂	—	0.259	23.5%	4.3
Saddle	1	—	²⁰⁄₂₃₂	—	0.259	23.5%	4.3
Golden Apple	1	—	²⁰⁄₂₃₂	—	0.259	23.5%	4.3
Gold Ingot	2–7	—	¹⁵⁄₂₃₂	—	0.873	18.0%	5.5
Iron Ingot	1–5	—	¹⁵⁄₂₃₂	—	0.582	18.0%	5.5
Emerald	1–3	—	¹⁵⁄₂₃₂	—	0.388	18.0%	5.5
Nothing^{[note 2]}	1	—	¹⁵⁄₂₃₂	—	0.194	18.0%	5.5
Iron Horse Armor	1	—	¹⁵⁄₂₃₂	—	0.194	18.0%	5.5
Golden Horse Armor	1	—	¹⁰⁄₂₃₂	—	0.129	12.3%	8.1
Diamond	1–3	—	⁵⁄₂₃₂	—	0.129	6.3%	15.8
Diamond Horse Armor	1	—	⁵⁄₂₃₂	—	0.065	6.3%	15.8
Enchanted Golden Apple	1	—	²⁄₂₃₂	—	0.026	2.6%	39.0

↑ All enchantments are equally probable, except treasure enchantments, and any level of the enchantment is equally probable.
↑ 'Nothing' does not refer to the chance of an empty chest. Instead, it refers to the chance that the random loot generator will not add any loot on a single roll.

Blocks[edit]

Block	Amount
Sandstone	3078
Cut Sandstone	189
Orange Terracotta	59
Chiseled Sandstone	34
Sandstone Stairs	16
TNT	9
Chest	4
Sandstone Slab	2
Blue Terracotta	1
Stone Pressure Plate	1

Video[edit]

Note: The video was made before Java Edition 1.8, as desert pyramids now generate with terracotta instead of wool. It also says that desert temples are the only place that TNT generates naturally; it can now appear in woodland mansions, shipwrecks, and buried treasure chests.

History[edit]

Java Edition
1.3.1		12w21a			Added desert pyramids.
1.4.6		12w50a			Enchanted books now generate in desert pyramid chests.
1.8		14w03a			Desert pyramids now generate with terracotta (at that time called "hardened clay") instead of wool.
1.9		15w44a			Chest loot is changed.
					Added gunpowder, sand, string, spider eye, and normal and enchanted golden apples.
					Average yields of diamonds, gold ingots and iron ingots are decreased.
					Average yields of horse armor, enchanted books, rotten flesh, saddles and emeralds are increased.
Pocket Edition Alpha
0.13.0		build 1			Added desert temples.
0.15.0		build 1			Enchanted books now generate in desert pyramid chests.
Legacy Console Edition
TU14	CU1	1.05	Patch 1	1.0.1	Added desert pyramids.
TU31	CU19	1.22	Patch 3	1.0.1	Desert pyramids now generate with stained clay (now terracotta) instead of wool.
New Nintendo 3DS Edition
0.1.0					Added desert pyramids.

Issues[edit]

Issues relating to "Desert pyramid" are maintained on the bug tracker. Report issues there.

Trivia[edit]

The desert pyramid’s basement is 21 blocks by 21 blocks.
The orange symbols on the outside resemble the Ancient Egyptian symbol for Life,^[1] an Ankh.^[2]
Desert pyramids have a rare chance of generating improperly causing some blocks to be lost or added.
As there is no light in the lower chamber, mobs can spawn inside and trigger the TNT trap, destroying the chests and loot before any player can reach it. Also, rarely a lava lake might generate next to TNT, potentially setting the trap off as well.
A desert pyramid will not generate fully if generated partially on water. When generated on lakes, they are only half-generated.
The top hole in the pyramid’s ceiling is almost always generated above ground, so buried temples will be accessible, but fall damage is likely.
When a desert pyramid generates above a ravine, it will have a deeper foundation like the Village houses prior village & pillage.

Gallery[edit]

A desert pyramid containing terracotta.
The treasure room inside the hidden lower chamber of the pyramid.
The 9 TNT rigged under the stone pressure plate.
A pyramid generated in a desert village. A well is also visible.
A pyramid generated in a normal village.
A desert pyramid generated under the sand.
A desert pyramid partly generated under the sand with a desert village generating near it.
What desert pyramids look like on maps.
A reconstructed pyramid with the shaft extending below it.
The previous pyramid viewed from a different angle.
A pyramid generated on a thin desert caused by a badlands biome being generated next to a plains resulting in the temple being in 3 biomes.
A perfect naturally-generated double desert pyramid.
A desert pyramid generated next to the world boundary in Legacy Console Edition.
A desert temple that has a dungeon generated inside it.