Minecraft wiki entry for Fossils, associated text: Other types of mining, including strip mining and speed mining, should usually be performed in the same way they would if looking for ores. However, note that they must be performed 15 - 24 blocks below the surface, as those are the only layers that fossils can generate in. TNT mining can also be used, and is often faster than digging with a tool, but doing this method risks damaging and/or destroying fossils.