Hidden in the Depths
Obtain Ancient Debris
Requirements: Mine ancient debris in the Nether using a diamond pickaxe or better.
Advancement Made!Hidden in the DepthsOverview
Hidden in the Depths is a task advancement in the Nether tab of Minecraft's advancement system, carrying the in-game description "Obtain Ancient Debris." It branches directly off Nether, so that earlier advancement is its prerequisite and must be earned first. The Nether tab covers advancements for exploring and conquering the Nether dimension, from entering the portal to brewing potions. Hidden in the Depths was added in Minecraft 1.16, from the Nether Update, and is still in the 26.2 advancement set.
It is rated Hard difficulty on this site: requires significant effort, rare resources, or dangerous encounters. It uses the standard task frame, meaning it is a normal step in the tree rather than a goal or challenge milestone. One further advancement, Cover Me in Debris, is gated behind it.
In tree terms, Hidden in the Depths sits first along its line: the full path from the Nether root reads Nether -> Hidden in the Depths. That means 1 advancement must be completed before this one becomes available, and Hidden in the Depths is one of 23 total advancements in the Nether tab. It shares its parent with 7 sibling advancements (Return to Sender, Those Were the Days, A Terrible Fortress, Who is Cutting Onions?, Oh Shiny, This Boat Has Legs, and Subspace Bubble), all of which open from the same point in the tree.
How to Complete Hidden in the Depths
Earning Hidden in the Depths comes down to the following, performed in order:
- Mine ancient debris in the Nether using a diamond pickaxe or better.
- Y 16 has the most: the larger clusters generate between Y 8 and Y 24 and smaller ones anywhere from Y 8 to Y 119.
- Bed explosions or TNT mining are popular methods.
Tips & Fastest Route
Tips & Fastest Route- Fastest route: Dig to Y 16 in the Nether, where ancient debris is most common, and mine it with a diamond or netherite pickaxe.
- Ancient debris is blast-resistant, so bed explosions and TNT clear the surrounding netherrack while leaving the debris exposed.
- It never burns and floats in lava, so it is safe to blast toward a lava lake.
- Make sure Nether is already ticked off before you start, otherwise Hidden in the Depths will not be tracked even if you perform the steps correctly.
- At Hard difficulty, Hidden in the Depths rewards preparation over speed: line up the items and conditions in the steps first rather than improvising mid-attempt.
Common Mistakes
Common Mistakes- An iron pickaxe will not drop ancient debris; you must use diamond tier or higher.
- Remember that Hidden in the Depths will not appear as available until Nether is done, since the game only tracks an advancement once its parent has been unlocked.
Reward & What It Unlocks
Reward & What It UnlocksHidden in the Depths grants no experience directly; its value is progression rather than a point payout.
Earning it unlocks Cover Me in Debris, which becomes the next step along this branch of the tree.
Details
- Advancement ID
minecraft:nether/obtain_ancient_debris- Icon Item
- Ancient Debris
- Category
- Nether
- Difficulty
- Hard
- XP Reward
- None
- Version Added
- 1.16
Advancement ID
Category
Version Added
