Mineshaft

The Mineshaft is a sprawling network of wooden-supported tunnels threaded with rails and cobwebs. It generates throughout the Overworld with no biome requirement, which makes the Mineshaft common to come across as you explore.

Vertically the Mineshaft occupies roughly Y -60 to Y 50, which tells you the depth band to search once you are in the right area. Abandoned mineshafts generate underground throughout the Overworld and intersect freely with caves and ravines. In badlands (mesa) biomes they use dark-oak supports and generate much higher, frequently breaking the surface where they are far easier to spot.

Added back in Minecraft Beta 1.8, its most recognisable trait is captured in one line: network of wooden-supported tunnels.

On Java Edition you can run /locate structure minecraft:mineshaft and /locate structure minecraft:mineshaft_mesa - separate commands because the Mineshaft has more than one structure variant, each with its own id.

Without commands, explore the Overworld freely, since the Mineshaft has no biome requirement, and search the Y -60 to 50 band. Because it is common, Mineshaft sightings are frequent, so you should not have to range very far.

Use /locate structure minecraft:mineshaft. Commonly found underground while mining or caving. Look for wooden planks, fences, rails, and cobwebs. In badlands biomes, mineshafts generate at higher elevations and on the surface.

Once inside, loot rides in minecart chests parked along the rails. Each one rolls the mineshaft table, which is the game's most reliable source of rails and powered rails and one of the few chest sources of a Name Tag.

Among the Mineshaft's randomised drops, the most common pulls are Rails at about 78%, Name Tag at about 42%, Coal at about 35%, and Bread at about 35%. At the other end of the odds sit the jackpot items: Iron Pickaxe at roughly 7.0% and Diamond at roughly 9%, so opening multiple Mineshaft chests pays off over time.

What makes the Mineshaft genuinely worth the trip is one exclusive reward you cannot get reliably anywhere else: Name Tag.

Expect to face Cave Spider, Zombie, Skeleton, and Creeper here, sometimes more than one at once.

The specific hazards to plan around: cave spider spawners are very dangerous in tight spaces and cave spiders inflict poison. There is more to watch for too - dark tunnels with many mob spawns and easy to get lost in the tunnel network - so do not rush.

Corridors are framed by oak (or dark-oak) fences and planks, lit sparsely, and carpeted in cobwebs near the cave-spider spawners. The network includes rail lines with minecart chests, support pillars, dead-end side rooms, and frequent gaps where the tunnels punch into open caverns.

Other things you will notice as you explore: minecart with chest on rails, cave spider spawners with cobwebs, and oak planks and fence supports.

Mineshafts in badlands biomes generate at higher Y-levels and can be exposed on the surface, making them easier to find. Cave spider spawners can be used for XP farms. The tunnel networks can extend for hundreds of blocks.