Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End ‘The Twelve Towers’ treasures and collectibles locations guide

Find every treasure and collectible journal entry, journal note, optional conversation, and rock cairn in Chapter 10

By Jeffrey Parkin May 19, 2020, 1:13pm EDT

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Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End ‘The Twelve Towers’ treasures and collectibles locations guide

Part of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End treasures and collectibles locations guide

In this Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End guide, we’ll help you find the 15 treasures, four journal entries, two journal notes, and two optional conversations in Chapter 10 “The Twelve Towers.” This chapter also has a unique (to this chapter) collectible in the form of 16 rock cairns for you to knock over. Destroying all of them will earn you the “Not a Cairn in the World” Trophy.

We’ve organized our guides by chapters. To find the chapter name, head to the main menu. When you choose to continue your Story game, you’ll see the chapter number and name. (Unlike the previous games, the chapter name is not part of your save file.) In the same menu, you can make sure you haven’t missed any collectibles in the Chapter Select option.

Chapter 10 brings our heroes to Madagascar and follows them as they drive toward the volcano.

There’s no map in Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, so for each of the collectibles below, we used photo mode to zoom out and give you some context surrounding the locations. Use the images to make sure you’re in the right area and the added arrows to help you find your way.

Rock cairn 1 (of 16)

Right as the chapter opens, this cairn is ahead of you, right at the Y-intersection in the road. (From there, it doesn’t matter which path you take, since they reconnect in a minute.)

[Treasure] Sawasa Ware Tobaccco Box location

Keep driving along the road until Sully points out some ruins. Hop out of the not-Jeep and climb the ruined stairs. Cross to the far side of the small plateau and climb up the wall to find the Sawasa Ware Tobacco Box.

Rock Cairn 2 (of 16)

After the Sawasa Ware Tobacco Box ruins, you’ll continue forward along the road. You’ll drop over a large (one-way) rock, and everyone will start a conversation. You’ll see the second cairn down the hill ahead of you.

[Treasure] Eroded Flintlock Pistol location

When you reach the second cairn, you’ll see a river ahead of you. Follow it left (upstream) to the small waterfall with a cave behind it. In the smaller cave off of the first cave, there’s a crate above you on your left. Pull it down with your rope, and move it to the right. The Eroded Flintlock Pistol is on a barrel on the platform above you. (You can also see this treasure’s location in journal note 1 below.)

Journal note 1 (of 2) collectible location

Just to the left of the Eroded Flintlock Pistol, you’ll find this journal note on a table.

Rock cairn 3 (of 16)

Back in the rental car, follow the river downstream toward the rickety wooden bridge. When you pass under it, look for this cairn along the right side of the river.

Rock cairn 4 (of 16)

From the previous cairn, you’ll head to the right to go uphill and loop around onto the rickety wooden bridge. The next cairn will be on the left just before the bridge.

Rock cairn 5 (of 16)

On the other side of the rickety wooden bridge, this cairn is on an outcropping on the left side of the road.

Rock cairn 6 (of 16)

From there, you’ll head up a muddy hill. Stick to the left side. You’ll come over a rise, and see a stream with a large, ramp-shaped rock on the other side. This cairn is on top of the rock ramp.

Rock cairn 7 (of 16)

Right after that cairn, you’ll keep following the river upstream. After the trio have an argument about the rental’s winch, you’ll take a sharp right turn onto a large, flat rock. The next cairn will be on your right after the turn.

Journal entry 1 (of 4) collectible location

A lot of careful driving later, you’ll reach a ruined tower. Head up the stairs to the main room of the tower. This journal entry is the symbol of the floor.

[Treasure] Mughal Ivory Powder Flask location

After you’ve grabbed journal entry 1, look to your left and climb the beams to the second floor of the tower. The Mughal Ivory Powder Flask is on the crates.

Rock cairn 8 (of 16)

After you winch your way past the first ruined tower, you’ll drive into a new and very scenic area. Just to the right of where you drop in, look for a muddy patch. Follow that mud downhill, and the next cairn will be on your left.

[Treasure] Parchment Scroll location

Just past that cairn (basically the same spot — you can see the rocks from the cairn in our image above), you’ll find some more (small) ruins. The Parchment Scroll is on a crate inside.

Rock cairn 9 (of 16)

From those ruins, keep following the road until you drop off another small (one-way) cliff next to a large puddle. Just past that first puddle, the road will U-turn to the left. This cairn is in the middle of that turn on a rocky outcropping.

[Treasure] Ancient Fertility Idol location

In that same U-turn where you found the rock cairn, look at the top of the turn directly across road from where the cairn was. There’s a small tunnel-cave-thing you can climb into. The Ancient Fertility Idol is inside on the left.

Journal Entry 2 (of 4) collectible location

After grabbing the Ancient Fertility Idol, you’ll continue over another rise and spot the second tower — which is full of Shoreline mercs. Once they’re cleared out, stand near the well(?) in the center of the ruins and face the main tower. You’ll see that it’s been rigged with dynamite. The plunger (trigger) is to your right — you can follow the fuse from the dynamite on the door to find it. Hit the plunger to blow the doors, and head inside to find this journal entry.

Rock cairn 10 (of 16)

After the big fight at the second tower and finding journal entry 2, head across the wooden bridge nearby (the Shoreline reinforcements came across it during the fight). After it breaks, you’ll turn it into a ramp with the perpetually useful winch. Up the hill from there, you’ll drop over another one-way ledge. Follow the road until it turns right. Look uphill, and you’ll see a boulder ahead of you. The next cairn is to the left of that boulder.

[Treasure] Pocket Celestial Map location

Instead of turning right and continuing up the hill past that cairn, keep going straight. Follow the path to the right along the edge of the cliff. There’s another small, ruined building there. Climb up to the second floor for the Pocket Celestial Map.

Rock cairn 11 (of 16)

After grabbing the Pocket Celestial Map, continue uphill and out of that area. You’ll reach another one-way ledge overlooking a large open area (and you’ll spot some Shoreline trucks in the distance). This cairn is directly ahead of you.

[Treasure] English Ale Bottle location

Just as you enter the area (and knock down rock cairn 11), turn left. There’s a short, ruined building behind a baobab tree not too far away. Head over to it, and park near the wall. Use the rental car to climb up to the roof, and then shoot the red barrels to blow open a hole. Drop inside, and make your way through the building to find the English Ale Bottle.

Journal note 2 (of 2) collectible location

Head back to where you entered this area (near rock cairn 11). Facing the watering hole and the volcano, head to the right. Follow the rock wall along until you spot some more ruins. Hop down into the well to find a secret pirate hideout. This journal note is on a corpse off to the right.

[Treasure] Pewter Letter Cylinder location

In the same well (you can see where you grabbed journal note 2 in the bottom left of the image above), look for a wooden pillar directly across from where you entered. When you approach, you’ll see the winch prompt. Head back to the rental and grab the winch cable. Use it to pull down that support and create a bridge for yourself. Climb up into the raised area that allows you to reach to find the Pewter Letter Cylinder.

Rock cairn 12 (of 16)

From the ruined well, look uphill toward the column of smoke. Head uphill on the right side of the outcropping. Take the first left to follow the outcropping around, and then the next right. You’ll drive up a flat rock. At the top, turn left, and head uphill along the bottom of the valley here. The cairn will be a little uphill on your left.

If the description and image above aren’t clear (it’s a hard area to describe), here’s a video of the trip from the well to the cairn.

[Treasure] Antique Tea Tin location

From carin 12, look uphill toward the volcano. There’s a path there that cuts over to the left and through a pair of stone markers. Follow it to some ruins and a few Shoreline mercs.

After you’re done with them, look on the uphill (left) side of the ruins for another dynamite-rigged door and another plunger detonator. Blow it open to find the Antique Tea Tin in the back in some rubble.

Rock cairn 13 (of 16)

Head back out of the ruins to where you found cairn 12. Look uphill and start back up. Instead of heading to the ruins again, look for a path that hooks around to the left and up the rocky hill also on your left. Follow that path to the tree, and U-turn around it to the right (the path between the tree and the rock wall is the only way up). Keep heading up as the path hooks back to the left. At the top of this hill, you’ll spot some ruins. This cairn is just to the left.

Once again, here’s a video to help clarify.

[Treasure] Mughal Box location

At those same hilltop ruins where you found rock cairn 13, check inside for the Mughal Box.

[Treasure] English Musket Bandolier location

Our next stop is easy to see from the Mughal Box ruins. Look toward the column of smoke. Below them, to the right, you’ll see a tunnel you can drive through. Get back in the rental car and head over there. Through the tunnel, you’ll find some ruins and a handful of Shoreline goons.

Once they’re dealt with, shoot the red barrels near the covered well(?) in the middle of these ruins. Hop down into the room below to find the English Musket Bandolier.

Rock cairn 14 (of 16)

From those ruins, head back to the main valley (either through the tunnel or back the way you came). Head uphill and a little to the right to find the path up to the column of smoke and the tower above you. Toward the top of the hill — at about the same elevation as the tower and smoke — the path will turn right toward some stone markers. This cairn is on the raised ground with weeds right there.

Rock cairn 15 (of 16)

When you pass through those stone markers you saw on the way to cairn 14, follow the path over the one-way ledge and around to the tower. This cairn will be on your left.

Journal entry 3 (of 4) collectible location

While you’re knocking over cairn 15, hop out an approach the tower to get this journal entry.

Optional conversations 1 and 2 (of 2) locations

When Nate’s done drawing journal entry 3, climb up onto the tower’s base. Find Sam and then Sully to trigger these two optional conversations.

[Treasure] Two Pence Coin location

Still at that same tower, climb to the top to find the Two Pence Coin.

Journal entry 4 (of 4) collectible location

Just past that (more or less intact) tower, you’ll come to another tower by a set of ruins and a drawbridge. Climb into that tower to find the final journal entry.

Rock cairn 16 (of 16)

After a big firefight, you’ll finally get the drawbridge lowered. On the other side, you’ll continue uphill toward the final tower (the one Nate pointed out earlier). The final cairn will be right on the edge of the cliff on your right.

[Treasure] Scottish Snuff Mull location

Right after cairn 16, you’ll winch the rental up another muddy hill (and the winch will prove itself worth every penny), and cross another wooden bridge to arrive at Avery’s Tower. You’ll leave the rental car behind and head up the stairs. Turn left at the top (the door to the left is your way in) and look for some crates. The Scottish Snuff Mull is on those crates.

[Treasure] Brass and Ivory Tankard location

In the underground passage, you’ll move a bookcase and blow open a wall, and then open a portcullis. Sam will run ahead. Before you go down the stairs, look to the left. The Brass and Ivory Tankard is behind some wooden crates.

[Treasure] Muff Pistol location

Once you grab the Brass and Ivory Tankard, look for the three wooden crates on the right side of the room. Destroy them with your guns or a grenade to pick up the Muff Pistol.

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