The short version
{count} artefacts, all buried
All 31 artefacts come out of buried trunks that a Para digs up; none of them appear in the open. Prices run from $30 for the commons up to $600 for the 9 rares, and every single one can be donated to the museum.
Where they come from
Buried trunks, not treasure-hunt chests
This is the most useful thing to know about artefacts, because the game has two different things that look like buried loot. Artefacts and paintings come out of buried trunks — weathered, half-buried, dug up by a Para. The red chests that appear around Castle Plaza during the Thursday treasure hunt are a separate town event, and what they hold is random Build Mode furniture that cannot be donated to the museum.
- Buried trunks hold artefacts and paintings; the two sets share a source.
- Every artefact is donatable, which makes this the most reliable set for pushing the museum reward track.
- Some donated artefacts end up on display in the Town Hall's exhibits rather than in the museum itself.
- Artefacts also turn up as the objects of townie requests and New Paper life goals.
If a chest is red and in good condition, it belongs to the Thursday treasure hunt and holds furniture. Artefacts only come from the weathered buried trunks.
Prices
Rarity is the price tag
Three bands cover the set. The $30 commons are the cheapest donations in the game, which is exactly what makes them useful.
- Common
$30
11 entries
- Uncommon
$70
11 entries
- Rare
$600
9 entries
All 31 artefacts, most valuable first
Sorted by sale price. Because the museum counts pieces rather than value, the bottom of this table is the efficient end to donate from.
| Name | Rarity | Sells for | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coins | Rare | $600 | |
| Crown | Rare | $600 | |
| Diving Helmet | Rare | $600 | |
| First Photograph | Rare | $600 | |
| Founding Ring | Rare | $600 | |
| Lace Trim | Rare | $600 | |
| Piece of Old Map (2) | Rare | $600 | One of three map fragments |
| Ship Bell | Rare | $600 | |
| Spinning Jenny | Rare | $600 | |
| Broken Plate | Uncommon | $70 | |
| Camera | Uncommon | $70 | |
| Cannon | Uncommon | $70 | |
| Industrial Mold | Uncommon | $70 | |
| Key | Uncommon | $70 | |
| Phonograph | Uncommon | $70 | |
| Piece of Old Map (1) | Uncommon | $70 | One of three map fragments |
| Piece of Old Map (3) | Uncommon | $70 | One of three map fragments |
| Pitcher | Uncommon | $70 | |
| Spyglass | Uncommon | $70 | |
| Viking Sword | Uncommon | $70 | |
| Anchor | Common | $30 | |
| Anvil | Common | $30 | |
| Axe Head | Common | $30 | |
| Bell | Common | $30 | |
| Cannonball | Common | $30 | |
| Champagne Bottle | Common | $30 | |
| Leather Scraps | Common | $30 | |
| Leatherworking Pliers | Common | $30 | |
| Medal | Common | $30 | |
| Pipe | Common | $30 | |
| Tin Can | Common | $30 |
The three-piece old map
Three artefacts are fragments of the same map: Piece of Old Map (1), (2) and (3). They are the only multi-part item in any collectible set. Oddly they are not priced as a matched set — two are Uncommon and the middle piece is Rare.
Piece of Old Map (1)
$70
Piece of Old Map (2)
$600
Piece of Old Map (3)
$70
Where donated artefacts end up
The museum runs two permanent exhibitions, Arts & History and Nature, and a new save starts it almost empty. Donated artefacts fill out the history side over time, and some are displayed in the Town Hall's exhibits instead. Donation boxes sit outside by the entrance and inside the gift shop, so a Para never has to find a staff member.
Artefacts FAQ
- How many artefacts are in Paralives?
- Thirty-one. The game and the wiki both use the British spelling “artefacts”; searching for “artifacts” finds the same set.
- Where do you dig up artefacts in Paralives?
- From buried trunks scattered around Melino. A Para digs the trunk out and it opens — artefacts never lie on the ground in the open.
- Are the Thursday treasure hunt chests the same thing?
- No. The treasure hunt runs on Thursdays around Castle Plaza and its red chests hold random Build Mode furniture. Those items are not collectibles and cannot be donated.
- What is the most valuable artefact?
- Nine tie at $600: Coins, Crown, Diving Helmet, First Photograph, Founding Ring, Lace Trim, Piece of Old Map (2), Ship Bell and Spinning Jenny.
- Do the three map pieces do anything when combined?
- Nothing we have been able to verify. The wiki flags them as a three-piece set but does not describe a reward for completing it, and we have found no official source that does.
Keep going
Related guides
All collectibles
The hub: how donating works and where the other four sets come from.
All 41 paintings
The other buried-trunk set, and the one worth the most per piece.
All 19 gems
Picked up in the open instead — no digging required.
Melino town guide
The districts you will be digging in.
Money builder
Work out what a full dig route is worth per week.
Prices verified against the current Early Access build.