Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Bygone Settlement Excavation Intel 1 Guide

Besides the activities that appear on the map in FFVII Rebirth, there are also hidden activities that become available after completing certain tasks. A good example is the Excavation Intel 1, which pops on your map after you complete any two Lifesprings.

Or, simply put, the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Excavation Intel 1: Bygone Settlement is unlocked after you finish two Expedition Intel minigames, such as Cragshade Lifespring and Wetlands Lifespring. The first Grasslands Excavation Intel, however, requires you to complete a treasure hunt, and in this guide, I’ll tell you where to find the three artifacts.

Where To Find the FFVII Rebirth Excavation Intel 1 in Grasslands

The first Grasslands Excavation Intel is found northwest of Forgotten Treads Cache and southeast of Phenomenon Intel 2: Pipeline Management Facility, as shown on the following map.

However, before heading to the location on my map, you have to be aware that the icon and the associated activity won’t appear on your map unless you finish two Expedition side activities. Furthermore, the treasure hunt you’ll have to complete requires a Chocobo, so you must catch Piko first.

Now, assuming you have unlocked Piko and the icon is on your map, head to the location I have marked to receive a call from Chadley, who informs you that you must find three buried artifacts. You’ll also access a tutorial on how to use Piko to find hidden treasures.

How To Unearth the Three Final Fantasy 7 Bygone Settlement Artifacts

As the tutorial explains, to find a buried treasure, or an artifact in this case, you’ll need to ride a Chocobo. Here is a summary of how this works:

• Mount your Chocobo after you summon him by pressing R1.
• While mounted, move around the area, paying close attention to your screen.
• When you see an exclamation mark, press and hold Up on your DPad, and the Chocobo will start sniffing around.
• Near the exclamation mark, you should see a small arrow indicating the direction of the scent caught by your Chocobo.
• Turn around so that your Chocobo faces the same direction, and you should see a glowing track.
• Follow the track to the buried Artifact, and while standing very close to the glowing mark on the ground, press Down on your Dpad for your Chocob to dig out the treasure.

To make this guide as helpful as possible, start your treasure hunt from the eastern side of the hill, where you should see some ruins. The first Bygone Settlement Artifact is a transmuter chip that allows you to transmute an enhanced copper bracer.

To get it, press Up while mounted when you see the exclamation mark on your screen, then turn Piko around so he can face the small ruins on the eastern side of the settlement. This is where you’ll find the first Artifact.

Now, from your current location, turn southwest on the radar on top of your screen and move forward. Again, press and hold Up on your DPad when the exclamation mark appears on your screen and rotate Piko accordingly.

The second Artifact is near the ruined wall in my screenshot below. It unlocks the cushion transmuter chip.

Finally, for the third Excavation Intel 1 Artifact, you’ll want to head northwest to the upper side of the hill. As you can see, the last Artifact is in front of what looks to be an iron gate. Dig it out by pressing Down on your DPad while standing next to it, and you’ll unlock the Windmill Gear transmuter chip.