Hippie4927 wrote: »Are you using the auger first? It will highlight the spot with red or orange or yellow or green. Red means you are far away from the dig spot. Orange means you are a little closer but still far. Yellow means you are getting close and green means 'dig here'.
Usually there's one or more lower squares you can augur; never seen one yet without any but that doesn't mean they don't or can't exist.
Next best thing to try, I suppose, is removing the top layer(s) of random squares to test the augur on sub-surface layers.
Also it really helps to have ALL the passives unlocked for your skill level.
With purple Antiquities, there are generally 4, 5 or 6 layers of earth on any given square. I use the Hand Brush to dig one of the 4s down to a 3, then I can use the Augur... repeat over and over again, until one of the squares shows up green.
In general I can then dig up the artifact only needing 1 point in Trowel, and alternating between a couple of uses of regular hand brush with 1 of trowel. One should, at this time, *avoid* the fissures (which cannot cover an antiquity), not attempt to use them.
If you spent 1 skill point in Augur (to go from 1 to 2), then you can use it on anything that's up to 6 deep, rather than 3 deep, which completely solves your augur problems for purple antiquities, and many (but not all) of your problems for Master level antiquities, which can be buried 5 to 8 deep and you can probably use it on the 5s and 6s.
I can reliably dig up any Advanced or Master level antiquity with just two skill points spent in Excavation - 1 in Trowel and 1 in Heavy Shovel. All else is gravy. Ultimate (5 skill points, level 10) antiquities are tougher to dig up and you may need more time and/or extra skills.