The Discovery side quests in Indiana Jones And The Great Circle are all about uncovering hidden collectibles. One of the earliest Discoveries you’ll acquire in the Vatican is the Riddles of the Ancients, which tasks Indy with finding ten elusive Ancient Relics scattered across the sprawling sacred city and its surrounding areas.
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However, don’t expect all the relics to be accessible from the get-go. As you advance through the main Stolen Cat Mummy Adventure, more sections of the Vatican will open up, where you’ll find them. With some relics tucked behind puzzles or hidden in plain sight, it’s easy to miss them.
To make your relic search a lot easier, you might want to look into completing the House Of God Mystery. It rewards you with the Vatican Relics exploration guide, which shows the relic’s location on the map.
First Ancient Relic Location In The Vatican
You’ll find the first Ancient Relic early on as you explore the secret passage below the Apostolic Library. This is a story-related area that becomes accessible after inserting the Giant’s Pendant in the Library’s Conservation Workshop.
It’s short and linear, but you’ll eventually encounter a locked gate blocking your progress. To get past it, dive underwater and swim through to the other side to unlock the gate. You’ll find the Ancient Relic sitting on a table next to the gate. Picking it up also formally starts the Riddles of the Ancients Discovery quest.
Second Ancient Relic Location In The Vatican
During your time in the Vatican, you’ll venture into the Underworld to locate the Warrior Giant’s Tomb. However, things escalate quickly when a bulldozer crashes through the dig site above, bringing along a swarm of Blackshirts. You’ll be forced to flee, and eventually, you’ll come across an opening in the floor to leap into the water below.
Before you make the jump, you’ll want to spot a grapple point above. Use it to descend slowly, and you’ll notice a narrow tunnel midway. Instead of going all the way down, you’ll want to boost yourself across to the tunnel. Inside, the second Ancient Relic awaits.
Third Ancient Relic Location In The Vatican
The third Ancient Relic is a bit more involved to find. After diving into the water from the second relic’s location and swimming for a bit, you’ll come across a chamber with some Blackshirts. Secure the area first, then look for a small crevice with water trickling through its crack. Beyond it, you’ll see a wooden barrier you can burn down with a torch. The relic’s just behind it, but the water will snuff out your torch before you can use it.
To take the torch across without extinguishing it, take the chamber’s only exit and follow it until you find a small hole in the wall behind a pillar. You’ll want to toss your lit torch through that hole, and it will land on the other side, where it stays burning. After that, you can head back to the crevice, retrieve the torch, burn down the barrier, and grab the Ancient Relic.
Fourth Ancient Relic Location In The Vatican
As your escape through the Underworld continues, you’ll eventually reach the upper floor of a chamber filled with flooded sarcophaguses. Blackshirts will be waiting to greet you, but once you’ve taken care of them, you’ll want to make your way to the area with two metal gates and an Antique Bust.
Each gate has a pedestal nearby where you can place the Antique Bust to trigger it open. The gate furthest across the room hides the fourth Ancient Relic. Place the weight on its pedestal, and the relic will be yours to claim.
Fifth Ancient Relic Location In The Vatican
Soon enough, you’ll come across a cramped corridor that’s in fact at a dead end. The way out is above, and you’ll need to use your whip to climb to a ledge with a broken wall.
Before you head through the opening, take another glance upward. There’s another whip point just above the first one. Use it to climb higher, and you’ll enter a chamber with a small compartment that hides the fifth Ancient Relic.
Sixth Ancient Relic Location In The Vatican
From the fifth Ancient Relic, you’ll want to head down the spiral staircase and unlock the gate by pulling the chain. You’ll find yourself in a corridor you’d have reached if you ignored the second whip point earlier. Proceed forward, and you’ll encounter two gates, each with a pedestal.
The first gate should be locked, but the farthest one will be open. Step inside and locate an odd-looking wall that looks ready to crumble with a bit of force. You’ll also spot two Antique Busts — one already on a pedestal, so leave it be. Grab the other one tucked in the corner of the room, and place it on the pedestal by the first gate to unlock it.
Inside the first room, you’ll find another locked gate with a pedestal and the Ancient Relic we’re after, along with a hefty mace. Use the mace to smash through the odd wall, creating a path between the two rooms. Now that you have access to both areas through their shared wall, grab the other Antique Bust and place it on the pedestal near the relic’s gate. This opens it, letting you claim the sixth Ancient Relic.
Seventh Ancient Relic Location In The Vatican
After escaping the Underworld and relaying your findings to Antonio, you might want to tackle the A Nun in Trouble Fieldwork quest first due to its involvement with the main story. Once that’s sorted, your next step is to solve the Fountain of Confession puzzle, which will let you access the Underground area and the Chamber of Tribulations.
The chamber features various trials, starting with the swinging pendulum blades. However, as you approach it, a trapdoor will send you plunging. Climb your way back up and face the trial properly, carefully using the columns to make your way past the blades.
After avoiding the first blade, you’ll reach a platform. Below this platform lies the seventh Ancient Relic. To get it, aim for the broken pillar beneath you to cushion your fall and avoid taking fall damage.
Eighth Ancient Relic Location In The Vatican
Once you enter the main chamber in the Underground, you’ll find two dragon statues. Each leads to a trial, activated by pulling the levers on the deck upstairs. The statue on the right takes you to the Gold Path Trial, where our concerned Ancient Relic can also be found.
As you proceed through the corridor, you’ll find a locked gate — that’s where the relic is. To unlock it, look for a crawlspace on the left. Head through, grab an Ancient Bust inside, and place it on the pedestal to open the gate.
Ninth Ancient Relic Location In The Vatican
After completing both trials in the Chamber of Tribulations, you’ll make your way to the Secret Monastery and, eventually, the Scriptorium. After investigating some of the books inside, you’ll uncover a hidden passage behind a conspicuously large painting, which leads to the Treasury of Esoteric Artifacts.
This is where you’ll find the Cat Mummy you’ve gone through all the trouble to track down. However, don’t miss the locked door on the left. With Gina’s lockpicking skills, you can open it and find the ninth Ancient Relic inside.
Final Ancient Relic Location In The Vatican
The last Ancient Relic in Vatican City is connected to completing the Secret of Giants Fieldwork. This task kicks off when you hand in the four Strange Inscription photographs to Antonio during the main storyline.
Your mission is to photograph the remaining six inscriptions, and the quest markers will lead you to them. By the time you’re ready to explore the Underground, most of the Vatican will be accessible, making it easier to track down the rest. Once you’ve captured them, return to Antonio’s office. Pin the photos on the bulletin board, and Antonio will place the final relic on his table for you to grab.
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