Ancient Relics are items you’ll discover while exploring the Vatican in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. There are 10 of them to find as part of the Vatican’s iteration of the repeatedly occurring “Riddles of the Ancients” discovery.
You’ll pass by most of the Ancient Relics as part of the main story in the Vatican and almost all of them are underground. You won’t be able to reach all of them right away. You’ll have to progress the main story — “The Stolen Cat Mummy” — a bit to collect them all.
Our Indiana Jones and the Great Circle guide will show you where to find all Ancient Relics in the Vatican.
You can find this Ancient Relic shortly after you begin your exploration of the Vatican. Use the Giant’s Pendant to open the secret passage in the Library’s Conservation Workshop. Downstairs, you and Father Antonio will discover a room with notes about the Strange Inscriptions.
On your way out, check the table closest to the (previously locked) door to find the first Ancient Relic.
After solving the Sacred Wounds puzzle in the Underworld, you’ll explore the Warrior Giant’s Tomb — and then the fascists (literally) crash the party. You’ll find the next Ancient Relic early in your escape.
Follow the only path you have until you come to a whip point you have to descend from. Dropping all the way will make you fall into water — we’ll do this in a second. Instead, hold the left trigger and slide down along your whip as far as you can.
Ahead of you, there’s a small tunnel in the wall. Swing back and forth to build up some momentum and jump into that tunnel. You’ll find the Ancient Relic on the ground just a little way in.
Turn around from Ancient Relic 2 and drop into the water below you. You’ll have to do a lot of swimming for this part. Once you climb out, you’ll start running into Blackshirts again — that’s where you’ll find Ancient Relic 3.
Right when you start hearing them, you’ll enter a room with a fallen pillar. Look on the right side for a gap to pass through. Take out both of the fascists patrolling there — you need their (lit) torches for this.
On the right side of where you took out the fascists, there’s another gap in the wall. This one is raining down water, though, and will extinguish your torch. Instead, follow the wall to the left.
Go through the door at the end or the room, and then take the next two rights. You’ll come to a wall with a hole in it. Hold the left trigger and then hit the right trigger to throw your (lit) torch through the hole.
Backtrack to the first gap in the wall and pass through — your torch will be waiting for you. Use it to burn down the wooden barrier at the back of the room.
You’ll find the next Ancient Relic on the altar(?) ahead of you.
A bit later during your escape from underground, you’ll be on the second floor of a large room and find a chandelier you can swing across on. Whip your way across and take out the Blackshirts waiting on the other side. Take a right to head to the southwest corner.
You’ll have to take out a beefy fascist in the next room. Check the floor for an antique bust you can pick up.
Carry it to the pedestal on the lower level behind where the fascist was. Interact with the pedestal to place the antique bust on it. That will open a gate to the left with the next Ancient Relic behind it.
Once you have Ancient Relic 4, grab the Antique Bust, and carry it over to the left. You’ll find another pedestal that opens a way out.
Head through and follow the path until you reach a deadend that you have to whip-climb out of. Whip up to the first level. Instead of going through the passage there (which is, technically, a way out), turn around and whip up to the second point above you.
Climb up and head to the right. You’ll pass a photographable statue of Nike.
From there, head to the right to find a burial chamber. Step inside to find the next Ancient Relic.
Backtrack to the whip points you climbed up. Drop down one level and head through the passage you were supposed to the first time.
Go through the dogleg to the right and you’ll crawl through a low gap. The next Ancient Relic is in the hallway on the other side.
You’ll pass an empty pedestal on the left. Continue past it, and take the first left you can. Around the corner, you’ll find an antique bust on a pedestal.
To the right, you’ll find another antique bust on the floor. Grab that one and carry it back to the first (empty) pedestal. That will open a gate to the left.
Head through. Grab a heavy candlestick and smash down the fragile wall on your right. Pass through and grab the the antique bust off the pedestal that we saw earlier.
Carry it back to the new pedestal and place it. This will open another gate with the next Ancient Relic behind it.
Once you find the first four Strange Inscriptions for Father Antonio, you’ll pick up “The Secret of Giants” fieldwork. As you travel around the Vatican, snap photos of the remaining six inscriptions to complete it.
Once you do, return to Father Antonio’s office in the library and place the photos on his bulletin board. He’ll drop the next Ancient Relic on his desk for you.
After you solve the Fountain of Confession puzzle, you’ll head back to the Underworld and undertake the Trials of Augur.
After falling through a trapdoor, you’ll climb back up to meet Gina. Your first task is to jump across some pillars past some swinging blades.
You’ll come to a wide landing after the first pair of blades. Over on the left side, drop down to the (oily) water below you. The next Ancient Relic will be on a broken pillar right ahead of you.
You can climb back up the way you came down.
As you explore the Gold Dragon Path — the chamber with the four hanging pillars — you’ll pass by the next Ancient Relic.
Just before you reach the room with the pillars (you’ll be back through here on your way out), watch along your left for a small hole in the wall.
Duck through and grab the antique bust on your right. Place it on the pedestal on the left and you’ll hear a clunk.
Back in the main room, stick to the left wall to find the door you just opened. You’ll find the Ancient Relic on a shelf along the right wall.
Ancient Relic 10 location
After you explore both the Silver Dragon Path and the Gold Dragon Path, you’ll reach the Secret Monastery. From there, you’ll continue through the Scriptorium and, eventually, reach the Treasury of Esoteric Artifacts.
When you enter, head to the locked door along the left wall. When you try it, Gina will come over and pick the lock for you.
Head through the door and over to the right. You’ll find the final Ancient Relic along the wall.