
Ruins of the Past
Datapack which overhauls archeology, pottery, and adds runes!
Screenshots






About this Mod
Fixed Buugs :D
Adds mysterious ancient structures, a full pottery system, and rune crafting to your survival world!
This datapack introduces new structures to explore, functional blocks to craft with, and a deep pottery & rune system to master.
Since this is a Datapack and Resource pack, both can be installed once server side and will apply to all players that join, voiding the need for each player to install the pack!
Forgotten Structures
- Explore 3 mysterious structures scattered across your world!
- Mayan Temple – A jungle pyramid filled with traps and loot
- The Crypt – An underground tomb with new pottery sherds
- Desert Dig Site – An archaeological site where you can discover ancient tablets
New Blocks
- Craft & discover 5 new functional blocks!
- Pedestal – Display your items, and dye it to match your style
- Runestone – A decorative block
- Research Workbench – Analyze ancient tablets to discover runes or structure maps
- Pottery Wheel – Craft brand new pottery
- Runic Altar – Imbue items with runes using XP
Pottery System
- Create pots with form and function!
- 6 base pot types: Thin, Small, Square, Large, Vase, and Slab
- Dye system with 32 colors
- Sherds on all 4 sides, with brand new sherds to collect
- Crafted using bundles, reinforced bundles, Eye of Ender, TNT, and more
Rune Crafting
- Research tablets and apply powerful runes!
- Ancient Tablets can be researched to unlock runes or reveal maps to structures
- Use the Runic Altar to apply runes to items (1 rune per item, permanent)
- XP is consumed through the transcriber system
Q. How do I download the pack?
A. Install the datapack in the vanilla world creation menu! ¹
Q. I cant find the resource pack!
A. Go to the Versions tab, find the datapack version you want and click the name, then scroll to the bottom and install the resource pack. ²
Q. The Transcriber / Rune system feels incomplete?
A. The Transcriber is still being actively reworked and will receive updated mechanics in future versions!
Q. I experienced a bug, what do I do?
A. Join the Discord and file a bug report :D
¹ How To Download!
Data Pack:
- Click the latest Datapack version.
- Scroll down and Download the Primary file.
- If you want to create a World, go to Singleplayer > Create New World > Data Packs > Open Pack Folder.
(It is not recommended to put it in an already existing world!) - Copy/Cut and Paste the downloaded file there.
- Open/Create your world.
- Note: You need to also install the Required Resource Pack.
Required Resource Pack:
- Click the Datapack featured version.
- Scroll down and Download the Required Resource Pack.
- Open Minecraft and go to Options > Resource Packs > Open Pack Folder.
- Copy/Cut and Paste the downloaded file there.
- Activate the Resource Pack.
(you can reload the resources with f3+t ingame)
See image below for reference

² How to get Resource Pack!

* Release Dates
There is no SET date for update releases, join the discord for more info!
Cool / Semi Secret Advancement
Stack a dyed Pedestal on top of itself 4 times to unlock a cool advancement.
Available Versions
How to Install Ruins of the Past on Your Server
Order Server
Order a Minecraft Java server with at least 3 GB RAM (4 GB recommended).
Set datapack Loader
In the panel under "Egg", select the datapack loader and matching Minecraft version (1.21.5).
Install Mod
Open the mod browser in the dashboard and search for "Ruins of the Past". Click "Install" – done! Alternatively, upload the .jar via SFTP to the /mods folder.
Compatibility
Mod Loaders
Minecraft Versions
1.21.5
Server-side
✓ RequiredRecommended RAM
4 GB(min. 3 GB)Frequently Asked Questions
Ruins of the Past server crashes on startup – what to do?
Most common cause: wrong datapack version or insufficient RAM. Check the server log (latest.log) for "OutOfMemoryError" or "Mixin" errors. With Mado Hosting: ensure at least 3 GB RAM is allocated and the loader matches the mod version (1.21.5). You can switch loaders with one click in the panel.
Is Ruins of the Past compatible with datapack and fabric and forge and minecraft and neoforge and quilt?
Ruins of the Past officially supports datapack, fabric, forge, minecraft, neoforge, quilt for Minecraft 1.21.5. Note: Forge and Fabric mods are NOT cross-compatible – pick one loader and stick with it. The Mado dashboard automatically detects incompatible loader combinations.
Server lagging with Ruins of the Past – how to optimize performance?
Recommended RAM: 4 GB (per 8 players). Use /spark profiler to check if Ruins of the Past consumes the most tick time. Common fixes: reduce server view-distance to 8-10, install "performant" or "starlight" as supplementary mods on Forge. With Mado Hosting, your server runs on NVMe SSDs with dedicated CPU cores for minimal latency.
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