How to get, craft and use a Treasure Totem in Stardew Valley

In Stardew Valley, Artifact Spots are usually limited to two per area (although this limit is somewhat relaxed during Winter days), so it can be quite difficult to locate them and get your hands on the Artifacts you need to donate. 

However, update 1.6 comes with a new item which significantly increases your chances of completing the Museum, or even the Island Field Office on Ginger Island, by giving you a huge number of Artifact Spots to dig up — Treasure Totems. 

How to get a Treasure Totem in Stardew Valley

Before you can get your hands on a Treasure Totem, you’ll need to get all of your skill levels up to the maximum (10) and unlock the Mastery Cave, because the recipe for the Treasure Totem is a reward for unlocking the Foraging Mastery. 

Once you’ve unlocked your Foraging Mastery, you’ll also need to gather some materials, particularly Moss. The best way to get your hands on large amounts of Moss is by forgoing all of your responsibilities on green rain days when you can quickly get hundreds of them. At other times, you can get it from trees with green trunks.

To make a Treasure Totem, you’ll need:

• 10 Moss
• 5 Hardwood
• 1 Mystic Syrup

How to use a Treasure Totem in Stardew Valley

To use a Treasure Totem, select it in your inventory so that your character wields it above their head and then use it in the same way that you’d use any item. 

When you use a Treasure Totem, you’ll create a ring of 16 Artifact Spots (a huge increase on the two that are usually accessible in a single area) around you which, when excavated using your Hoe, will result in anything from basic resources to rare Artifacts which can be donated to the Museum or Island Field Office. 

The good news is that Treasure Totems can be used pretty much everywhere, even down in the Mines or Skull Cavern. The bad news is that you’re not guaranteed any particularly rare items by using one.

Artifact locations in Stardew Valley

Each area of Stardew Valley has a selection of different Artifacts that can possibly be excavated from Artifact Spots. Using a Treasure Totem in a particular area will increase your chances of finding the Artifacts that can usually be found there. 

The only exception to this is in the Mines and Skull Cavern, where you don’t regularly find Artifact Spots at all. In these locations, you’ll get more resources and occasionally some clothing items or Geode items, such as Mystery Boxes. 

I won’t go into the basic resources that can be found in different areas, but if you’re looking for specific Artifacts to complete your Museum collection, or want to know what you could possibly find using a Treasure Totem in a select location, here’s a list to help.