Some map details come from a community-maintained reference because the developer’s store pages explain the map system but do not publish a complete area-by-area diagram. Treat exact fossil placement, hidden-fossil availability, and interface behavior as version-sensitive.
Fast answer
The answer before the background
The map is divided into three functional map areas. Map 1 is available at the start. Map 2 appears after you purchase the first room on the second floor, and Map 3 appears after you purchase the first room on the fourth floor. Within each map, fossils are grouped by tier: Green, Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. For efficient progress, finish affordable fossils that match your available exhibition stands, then move to the next tier or map only when your museum expansion and excavation upgrades can support it.
Verified structure
How the excavation map is organized
When you open the excavation map, you are choosing a fossil site rather than moving a character across a large overworld. The official store description confirms that the map is used to select dig sites and that fossils are assembled piece by piece for museum displays.
The practical map structure has two layers. First, you move between numbered map screens. Second, you choose a fossil category or tier within the current screen. The community reference identifies the three screens as Map 1, Map 2, and Map 3. It also records the progression gates: the second map follows the purchase of the first room on 2F, while the third follows the purchase of the first room on 4F.
The named areas below are therefore functional names used for navigation, not confirmed in-world locations such as deserts, forests, or excavation sites. No reliable official source currently provides a fuller geographic naming scheme.
- Map 1: the starting excavation screen.
- Map 2: unlocked after the first room on the second floor is purchased.
- Map 3: unlocked after the first room on the fourth floor is purchased.
- Green, Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum: fossil tiers or display categories shown across the map system.
- NEW: a fossil that is available but has not yet been excavated, according to the community reference.
- ????: a fossil whose excavation has begun but is not complete, according to the same reference.
| Area or label | What it means | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| Map 1 | Starting map screen | Build your first collection and learn excavation patterns. |
| Map 2 | Second map screen tied to 2F expansion | Move here after your museum can support larger collections. |
| Map 3 | Third map screen tied to 4F expansion | Use for late progression and higher-tier completion. |
| Tier tabs | Green through Platinum fossil groups | Choose a target that matches your stands and budget. |
| NEW / ???? | Availability or progress markers | Prioritize unfinished discoveries before repeating completed sites. |
The store listing verifies the map’s purpose, fossil collection, museum upgrades, and excavation upgrades. The numbered map screens and their floor-based unlock conditions are documented by the community reference, not by a public developer map.
Practical route
A reliable route through the areas
Do not treat the map as a race toward the highest visible tier. A better route is to connect excavation choices to the museum rooms you can currently fill. Every completed fossil is more useful when you have an appropriate exhibition stand ready for it, because the official description links fossil displays, visitor satisfaction, museum income, and future upgrades.
Begin on Map 1 and clear affordable Green and Bronze targets that fit your current stands. This gives you a dependable supply of completed displays while you learn how much stamina each excavation consumes. When a fossil is only partly uncovered, leave it marked as unfinished rather than spending resources blindly on a different category.
After your first room on 2F is purchased, check Map 2 immediately, but do not abandon Map 1. Compare the cost, expected display value, and excavation difficulty of the available targets. A new map is an expansion of options, not an instruction to complete every new fossil at once.
Once the first room on 4F is purchased, Map 3 becomes available. At this stage, route planning matters more because higher-tier fossils can require stronger tools, more stamina, and more museum capacity. Alternate between finishing useful older fossils and starting one new target that advances your next display goal.
- Select the fossil tier that matches an empty or soon-to-be-built stand.
- Finish an excavation before opening several expensive partial targets.
- Use the map’s progress markers to find unfinished fossils quickly.
- Return to earlier maps when a lower-tier fossil is needed to complete a stand or collection.
- Treat Platinum as a long-term target unless your museum and tool upgrades already support it.
| Situation | Recommended route |
|---|---|
| New museum | Map 1, then Green and Bronze fossils that fit available stands. |
| First-floor collection growing | Finish partial Map 1 fossils before branching into costly targets. |
| First 2F room purchased | Check Map 2, compare tiers, and keep clearing useful Map 1 entries. |
| First 4F room purchased | Use Map 3 for progression while maintaining a manageable completion loop. |
| Low stamina or weak tools | Choose smaller, cheaper targets and avoid forcing a high-tier excavation. |
The game does not publish a single optimal order. The route above is a resource-management recommendation based on the documented links between excavation, stands, museum expansion, and upgrades.
Excavation planning
How to choose the next dig site
Before tapping a site, check four things: its tier, whether you have a compatible stand, whether the museum needs that fossil, and whether your current tool and stamina can complete the excavation comfortably. The official listing confirms that character levels increase the number of excavations and that pickaxe levels widen the range of rocks you can destroy, so upgrades directly affect route efficiency.
If your goal is museum income, prioritize a fossil that can be displayed soon rather than one that will sit in storage. If your goal is collection completion, use the map markers to finish fossils that are already marked as started. If your goal is unlocking new floors, spend first on the museum expansion required for the next map rather than scattering funds across unrelated displays.
Hidden fossils need extra caution. A community reference reports that some are revealed through fossil fragments found during other excavations. Because the developer does not publish a complete trigger list, do not assume that every locked or unknown icon is a normal site waiting for coins. Keep excavating across the available map and check your collection or fossil book for newly revealed entries.
- For steady income: complete display-ready fossils first.
- For collection progress: finish sites marked as started before opening too many new ones.
- For map expansion: save toward the next required floor room.
- For difficult sites: improve the pickaxe and excavation capacity before forcing repeated attempts.
- For hidden entries: record what the game itself reveals, because exact triggers are not officially documented.
There is no reliable official source confirming a universal fossil drop order, fixed stamina cost for every site, or permanent coordinates for every icon. Avoid guides that present those details as guaranteed across all versions.
Navigation fixes
If a map area seems missing
If you can see only one map, first check whether the first room on 2F has actually been purchased. The community reference ties the second screen to that purchase, not merely to reaching a particular player level. The third screen similarly depends on the first 4F room.
If the map is unlocked but you cannot see another section, check the edges of the map screen for navigation arrows or swipe across the display. A recent community report describes edge navigation problems on some devices, but this is not confirmed as a universal bug. Restarting the app and checking for an available update are sensible troubleshooting steps, but reinstalling can risk save-data problems if your account or backup status is unclear.
Finally, open an empty exhibition stand and enter its fossil-selection flow if the normal map seems filtered. Community reports indicate that selecting a stand can show only fossils compatible with that display category. This may look like missing content when it is actually a category filter.
- Confirm the required floor room, not just the floor number.
- Look for arrows at the screen edges and try a horizontal swipe.
- Check whether an exhibition stand is filtering the available fossil tier.
- Update through the platform store before treating the behavior as a bug.
- Do not delete the app unless your save is safely backed up.
Interface behavior can differ between Android and iOS, and the developer’s public listing does not document every navigation issue. Use the labels and buttons visible in your installed version as the final authority.
FAQ
Common questions
How many map areas are there?
The maintained map reference documents three numbered map screens: Map 1, Map 2, and Map 3. The official store listing confirms the general map-and-dig system but does not publish a complete numbered map guide.
How do I unlock the second map?
Purchase the first room on the second floor, commonly written as 2F. After that expansion, check the excavation screen for the additional map section.
How do I unlock the third map?
Purchase the first room on the fourth floor, commonly written as 4F. The third map is tied to that museum expansion according to the community reference.
What should I dig first?
Start with affordable Green or Bronze fossils that match stands you can build or already own. Finish partial excavations before opening too many new targets, then expand toward higher tiers as your stamina, tools, and museum space improve.
Why does a fossil show NEW or question marks?
The community reference uses NEW for an available fossil that has not been excavated and ???? for one whose excavation has started but is incomplete. The exact symbols can be interface-dependent, so confirm their meaning in your installed version.
Sources
What we checked
Official listings establish current availability and product facts. Community pages are used for mechanics and build history, then labeled separately.
- OfficialOfficial Google Play listing and update information
- OfficialOfficial Apple App Store listing
- CommunityCommunity map reference
- CommunityCommunity fossil list and map assignments
- CommunityCommunity excavation reference