Excavation Site quest checklist
Tick quests off as you go. "Min. level" is the level needed to accept the quest. Each faction has its own list. "Shareable" follows each quest's Wowhead Forever page; for a chain it is the first step. Epiccarry's guide disagrees on one: it says Songblade Search cannot be shared.
Alliance quests (5)
The table scrolls sideways: swipe it to see turn-ins and levels.
| Done | Quest | Pick up | Objective | Turn in | Min. level | Shareable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Songblade Search (chain) | Dorin Songblade, Lakeshire, Redridge Mountains (25.6, 46.6) | Find Daewyn Songblade's body in a tent in the Dragonmaw area, after Shadetooth; the body then gives Fallen in the Fen | Daewyn's body inside, then Dorin Songblade in Lakeshire | 24 | Yes | |
| Lost in the Thicket Things (chain) | Caitlin Grassman, Menethil Harbor, Wetlands (11.9, 58.8); optional lead-in Seeking Caitlin from Llana in Astranaar | Find Ardin on the wooden structure by the final boss area; he then gives Heartwoven | Ardin inside, then Caitlin Grassman in Menethil Harbor | 24 | Yes | |
| Highland Hides | James Halloran, Menethil Harbor (8.6, 55.7), after Young Crocolisk Skins | Loot 4 Thicket Raptor Hides from the raptors in Stalker's Thicket | James Halloran | 24 | Yes | |
| Horrors in the Highland | Rethiel the Greenwarden, central Wetlands (56.3, 40.3), after three earlier Rethiel quests | Loot a Horrible Rootcore from Highland Horror | Rethiel the Greenwarden | 24 | Yes | |
| Lost Relic Carry (chain) | Titan Relic, looted from Relic Guardian, the last boss | Take the relic to Prospector Whelgar; he then gives Prehistoric Prism | Prospector Whelgar, cave at Whelgar's Excavation (38.8, 52.3), then High Explorer Magellas, Hall of Explorers, Ironforge | 24 | No |
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Horde quests (3)
The table scrolls sideways: swipe it to see turn-ins and levels.
| Done | Quest | Pick up | Objective | Turn in | Min. level | Shareable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Changing Tastes | Borstan, upper floor of The Drag, Orgrimmar (57.3, 53.3) | Loot 4 Thicket Raptor Meat from the raptors in Stalker's Thicket | Borstan | 24 | Yes | |
| Open the Maw | Deathstalker Agent, Wetlands (51.4, 59.2), after Dragonmaw Rumors from Zaruk at Hammerfall, Arathi Highlands (74.4, 35.6) | Kill 2 Dragonmaw Saboteurs and 4 Dragonmaw Warders, and loot a Dragonmaw Dispatch from a Dragonmaw Thaumaturgist | Deathstalker Agent, outside the dungeon | 24 | Yes | |
| Elder Knowledge (chain) | Titan Relic, looted from Relic Guardian, the last boss | Take the relic to Bashana Runetotem; she then gives Earthen Echo | Bashana Runetotem, Elder Rise, Thunder Bluff (70.8, 33.7), then Muln Earthfury, Skywatcher Plateau, Mulgore (33.4, 22.5) | 24 | No |
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Highland Hides: Warcraft Tavern noted during the Forever beta that it was not counted as a dungeon quest and gave only a small reward. The Forever database now lists it at quest level 28 with 1,150 XP, lower than the other quests here.
Before you enter: pickups and prerequisites
Alliance pickups and prerequisites
- Redridge Mountains, Lakeshire: take Songblade Search from Dorin Songblade, the armorer (25.6, 46.6).
- Wetlands, Menethil Harbor: take Lost in the Thicket Things from Caitlin Grassman (11.9, 58.8). If you pass through Astranaar in Ashenvale first, Llana (35.0, 48.5) gives a short lead-in, Seeking Caitlin, for some extra XP. Back in Menethil Harbor, James Halloran (8.6, 55.7) gives Highland Hides; Wowhead lists it after his Young Crocolisk Skins, which follows Daily Delivery from Einar Stonegrip in the same series (Wowhead).
- Central Wetlands: Rethiel the Greenwarden (56.3, 40.3) gives Horrors in the Highland; Wowhead lists it at the end of a series that starts with The Greenwarden from First Mate Fitzsimmons in Menethil Harbor (Wowhead), and three outdoor quests: kill 15 Mosshide Gnolls and 10 Mosshide Mongrels (Tramping Paws), bring 9 Crude Flints from the mid-Wetlands gnolls (Fire Taboo), then kill 12 stealthed Fen Creepers along the rivers (Blisters on the Land).
| Alliance prerequisite | Min. level | Quest level | XP listed | Wowhead ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Delivery | 18 | 21 | 830 | 469 |
| Young Crocolisk Skins | 18 | 22 | 1,750 | 484 |
| The Greenwarden | 20 | 21 | 830 | 463 |
| Tramping Paws | 20 | 21 | 1,250 | 276 |
| Fire Taboo | 20 | 23 | 1,850 | 277 |
| Blisters on the Land | 20 | 26 | 2,650 | 275 |
Horde pickups and prerequisites
- Orgrimmar, The Drag: take Changing Tastes from Borstan on the upper floor, in the hut with the cooking trainer (57.3, 53.3).
- Arathi Highlands, Hammerfall: take Dragonmaw Rumors from Zaruk (74.4, 35.6). It sends you to the Deathstalker Agent behind a small hill in the Wetlands (51.4, 59.2), who gives Open the Maw.
Lost Relic Carry and Elder Knowledge start from an item in the dungeon, so there is nothing to pick up for them.
For the whole group
- Bring a disease cure. Epiccarry's guide says crocolisks inside apply Muculent Rot (less spirit and stamina for 30 minutes) and spiders apply Highland Venom; a priest's Cure Disease, a paladin's Purify or a shaman's Disease Cleansing Totem removes them (Epiccarry).
- Meet at the stone. The meeting stone is at the bottom of the trail up the hill. Epiccarry puts it at about 52, 64 in the Wetlands (Epiccarry); Warcraft Tavern gives about 53.9, 65.4, where the trail starts, and the dungeon door at 48.1, 56.5 (Warcraft Tavern). Use either as the meeting point.
- Avoid a full wipe. Epiccarry notes the zone has only one graveyard, so a wipe means a long run back across the Wetlands (Epiccarry).
Excavation Site quest order inside the dungeon
- Lost Marsh, Saltspine: the first boss, a crocolisk that patrols the opening marsh. No quest needs it.
- Stalker's Thicket: loot the raptors. Alliance need 4 Thicket Raptor Hides (Thicket Hunter, Lurker or Matriarch); Horde need 4 Thicket Raptor Meat (Thicket Hunter, Lurker or Stalker). Shadetooth, the second boss, patrols here. Stay on the paths: walking into the tall grass makes hidden Thicket Lurkers appear (Epiccarry).
- Lost Dig Site: Horde kill the Dragonmaw Saboteurs and Warders and loot the Dragonmaw Dispatch from a Thaumaturgist. Alliance look for Daewyn Songblade's body in a tent in this Dragonmaw area, then take Fallen in the Fen from it.
- Highland Horror (north of the dig site): Alliance only, for the Horrible Rootcore. Everyone else can skip it.
- Site of the Guardian: Alliance find Ardin up on the wooden structure by the arena; turn in Lost in the Thicket Things and take Heartwoven. Start Relic Guardian at the Archival Panel to the right of the boss.
- Relic Guardian: both factions loot a Titan Relic from it, which starts Lost Relic Carry (Alliance) or Elder Knowledge (Horde).
Excavation Site turn-ins and follow-ups
| Faction | Where | Turn in |
|---|---|---|
| Alliance | Inside: Daewyn's body, Ardin | Songblade Search, Lost in the Thicket Things |
| Alliance | Redridge: Dorin Songblade, Lakeshire | Fallen in the Fen |
| Alliance | Wetlands: Caitlin Grassman and James Halloran (Menethil Harbor), Rethiel the Greenwarden, Prospector Whelgar (cave at Whelgar's Excavation, 38.8, 52.3) | Heartwoven, Highland Hides, Horrors in the Highland, Lost Relic Carry |
| Alliance | Ironforge: High Explorer Magellas, Hall of Explorers (69.4, 19.1) | Prehistoric Prism |
| Horde | Wetlands: Deathstalker Agent (51.4, 59.2) | Open the Maw |
| Horde | Orgrimmar: Borstan, The Drag | Changing Tastes |
| Horde | Thunder Bluff: Bashana Runetotem, Elder Rise (70.8, 33.7) | Elder Knowledge |
| Horde | Mulgore: Muln Earthfury, Skywatcher Plateau (33.4, 22.5) | Earthen Echo |
Prospector Whelgar is in the outdoor Whelgar's Excavation next to Menethil Harbor, not in the dungeon. For Earthen Echo, leave Thunder Bluff to the north and take the mountain path at about 40.3, 17.6 up to the Skywatcher Plateau; Muln Earthfury is in the largest tent (Warcraft Tavern).
Excavation Site quest XP
Base XP per quest from the "Gains" line on each quest's Wowhead Forever page (read on 2026-11-11). These are database values, not what we were awarded in game: the XP you actually get may differ with your character level and any XP modifiers.
| Quest | Faction | Quest level | XP listed | Wowhead ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Songblade Search | Alliance | 31 | 6,150 | 95772 |
| Fallen in the Fen | Alliance | 31 | 6,150 | 95795 |
| Seeking Caitlin (optional lead-in) | Alliance | 31 | 1,250 | 95737 |
| Lost in the Thicket Things | Alliance | 31 | 4,900 | 95647 |
| Heartwoven | Alliance | 31 | 6,150 | 95809 |
| Highland Hides | Alliance | 28 | 1,150 | 98815 |
| Horrors in the Highland | Alliance | 31 | 6,150 | 95646 |
| Lost Relic Carry | Alliance | 31 | 1,250 | 95810 |
| Prehistoric Prism | Alliance | 31 | 6,150 | 98824 |
| Changing Tastes | Horde | 31 | 6,950 | 95697 |
| Dragonmaw Rumors (required lead-in) | Horde | 31 | 550 | 95663 |
| Open the Maw | Horde | 31 | 6,950 | 95682 |
| Elder Knowledge | Horde | 31 | 1,400 | 95664 |
| Earthen Echo | Horde | 31 | 6,950 | 98823 |
Our sum of the listed figures: Alliance 39,300 XP for all five quests and their follow-ups (including the optional Seeking Caitlin), Horde 22,800 XP (including Dragonmaw Rumors). The six Alliance prerequisites add 9,160 XP. We added these up ourselves from the database entries; they are not Blizzard figures.
Excavation Site location and entrance
Blizzard places the dungeon in the Wetlands near Thelgen Rock and Dun Algaz, above Whelgar's Excavation (Blizzard). The path starts at about 53.9, 65.4, to the left of Thelgen Rock, and winds up past non-elite spiders to the entrance at about 48.1, 56.5 (Warcraft Tavern). The dungeon is a different place from the outdoor Whelgar's Excavation next to Menethil Harbor, where Prospector Whelgar waits. There is no Horde town in the Wetlands, so Horde players usually travel from the Undercity or the Sepulcher, through Arathi Highlands.
Excavation Site bosses and what each quest needs
| Boss | Area | Quest that needs it |
|---|---|---|
| Saltspine | Lost Marsh | None |
| Shadetooth | Stalker's Thicket | None directly; the raptors around it drop the hides and meat |
| Highland Horror (optional) | North of the Lost Dig Site | Horrors in the Highland (Alliance) |
| Relic Guardian | Site of the Guardian | Drops the Titan Relic: Lost Relic Carry (Alliance), Elder Knowledge (Horde) |
Sources and how we checked
Level range and location are from Blizzard. Quest names, faction, required level, quest level and XP are from the Forever quest database on Wowhead; quest givers, coordinates, objectives and the boss order were cross-checked against Warcraft Tavern's guides. Everything is written in our own words. Warcraft Tavern gives the dungeon's range as 26-33; we use Blizzard's 24-29. We have not timed or run the dungeon ourselves. Seen a change after a hotfix? Tell us.
- Blizzard: Explore the new dungeons of World of Warcraft: Forever (levels and location) (checked 2026-11-11)
- Wowhead: Songblade Search, Forever quest database (quest level 31, requires 24) (checked 2026-11-11)
- Wowhead: Changing Tastes, Forever quest database (quest level 31, requires 24) (checked 2026-11-11)
- Warcraft Tavern: Excavation Site: Wetlands quests (WoW Forever) (checked 2026-11-11)
- Warcraft Tavern: Excavation Site: Wetlands dungeon guide (entrance, route, bosses) (checked 2026-11-11)
- Epiccarry: WoW Forever Excavation Site quests (checked 2026-11-11)
See also: Ruins of Lordaeron quests · Hall of Thanes quests · Ragefire Chasm quests · Rulesets by region