civ 6 how to get archaeologist

2 min read 22-02-2025

The Archaeologist unit in Civilization VI is crucial for uncovering valuable relics and boosting your civilization's culture and science. But how do you get one? This guide will walk you through the process, covering everything from prerequisites to strategic deployment.

Understanding the Prerequisites: Museums and Archaeology

Before you can even think about wielding a trowel, you need the right infrastructure. The Archaeologist unit is unlocked through the Archaeology promotion, which is itself obtained by building a Museum.

Building a Museum

Museums are constructed in cities with a suitable amount of infrastructure. You'll need to research the required technology first. That technology is Archaeology, found in the Civic Tree.

Researching Archaeology

The Archaeology civic is unlocked through the progression of your civic tree. The exact path depends on your chosen government and your gameplay choices, but it generally appears fairly late in the game. Focus on civics that provide bonuses related to culture or science to accelerate your progress. Remember, you need the technology before you can build a museum.

Utilizing Museums

Once you have a Museum constructed, its effects begin immediately. It improves your city’s Tourism, and this is important to note, this is also where the Archaeologist unit comes into play.

Obtaining the Archaeologist Unit

With a Museum up and running, your cities can now recruit Archaeologists. It's not an automatic process; you will need to actively recruit them. The process is straightforward.

Open the City Screen: Click on the city where your Museum is located.
Access the Production Menu: Look for the production queue.
Select Archaeologist: You should see the Archaeologist unit available for production. This will only appear after you've built the Museum and researched the Archaeology civic.
Start Production: Select the Archaeologist and wait for it to be produced.

Utilizing the Archaeologist Unit

The Archaeologist is a unique unit that cannot be used for combat. Its purpose is to excavate archaeological sites revealed on the map.

Locating Archaeological Sites

Archaeological sites are randomly generated across the map. They often appear near ancient ruins or other historically significant locations. They are marked on the map and are identified by a distinctive symbol.

Excavating Archaeological Sites

Once you have recruited an Archaeologist, click on it and select an archaeological site to begin excavation. This will reveal a relic. Each site can contain multiple relics. The type and value of the relic will vary. Successful excavations significantly boost your culture and provide powerful boosts to your civilization.

Strategic Considerations

Multiple Museums: Constructing multiple Museums allows for the simultaneous production and deployment of multiple Archaeologists, speeding up the excavation process significantly.
Cultural Victory: The Archaeologists are particularly important for players pursuing a Cultural Victory, as relics significantly increase Tourism and contribute to global culture.
Science Victory: While less critical than for a Cultural Victory, the science boosts from some relics can still contribute to a Science Victory path.

Troubleshooting: I Don’t See the Archaeologist Unit

If you cannot find the Archaeologist unit in the production menu, double-check the following:

Have you researched the Archaeology civic? This is a non-negotiable requirement.
Have you built a Museum? The Museum is the building that allows you to recruit Archaeologists.
Is your Museum functioning correctly? Make sure there are no issues hindering its operation. Sometimes buildings get damaged or are otherwise not fully operational.

This guide should help you unlock and effectively utilize the Archaeologist unit in Civilization VI. Remember, patience and planning are key to maximizing their benefits for your civilization's growth and success.