Looks like Archaeology has been hotfixed to now always give one skill-up per dig, making it much easier to level. This was NOT listed in any hotfix note, so we’re unsure whether this is intended or not.

Source: MMO-Champion

This faction is tied in to Archaeology and the lore of Mists of Pandaria. Finding various objects around the world will give you achievements and reputation with them, as well as access to various stories told by Lorewalker Cho.

Rewards

The Lorewalkers also offer some other nice rewards at their Quartermaster. You can get Restored Artifacts by completing archaeology artifacts or purchasing one for a Spirit of Harmony.

Type	Name	Required Rep	Cost
	Lorewalker’s Lodestone	Exalted
	Lorewalker’s Map	Exalted
Mount	Disc of the Red Flying Cloud	Exalted	600g	(Video Link)
Miscellaneous	Lorewalkers Tabard	Exalted	10g

Info about Quests and Achievements, Click here!

Quests (Level 90)

Achievements

Each time you complete an achievement, Lorewalker Cho will tell you a story.

• You are now able to survey up to six times per digsite, this went live with Patch 5.0.4.
• There will be two new races to solve for, the Pandaren and the Mogu.
• You won’t want to vendor the new artifacts, as they only sell for 1g. Instead, you use them to create a Restored Artifact.
• Restored Artifacts can be used to purchase crates that contain 5-9 fragments for the non Pandaria races, as well as two other items.
• Occasionally an Ancient Haunt will spawn after finding artifact fragments. They rarely drop a Mogu or Pandaren keystone and always drop ~7 fragments
• There are now some daily quests for Archaeology
• You can find Pristine versions of artifacts and put them on display

Pristine Artifacts

Pristine Artifacts are rarely gained from solving a common artifact. These items give you a quest which is turned in at the Seat of Knowledge. These quests add the artifact to your phased collection, similar to the way the Lorewalker’s bookshelf works.

Turning in the quest gives you 3 x Restored Artifact and 1 x Mogu Statue Piece or Pandaren Pottery Shard.

Restored Artifact currency is used to buy Fragments of any race and also some other items such as:

• Lorewalker’s Map = Reset Digsite Locations (Pandaria)
• Lorewalker’s Lodestone = Digsite Teleporter (Pandaria)
  

New Rare Items

There are four new rare items to be found in Mists of Pandaria, three of which are level 85+ gear!

 Quilen Statuette (Mogu)

 Anatomical Dummy (Mogu)

Umbrella of Chi-Ji (Pandaren)

 Spear of Xuen (Pandaren)

Players are now able to Survey Six times, up from three, per Dig Site location on your map!

This stealth buff is most welcomed, although some are reporting a decline in keystone droprates too.

Note: Archy now has a (beta addon version) update for 5.0.4 / Download via Curse

Some notes for the upcoming Expansion:

• Will be no Archaeology Fragment Reset in Mists of Pandaria (Source)
• Reports are that Pre-MoP Races will not give any skill-ups past 525
• Some of these new factions have Archaeology Dailys in MoP
• More info coming soon!

It translates into what we have posted below:

I heard there would be archaeology dailies. Are these dailies available only when archaeology skill reaches 525? Or is it like the fishing and cooking dailies in Cata, which merely require minimum skill points? (Source)

The latter. Archaeology dailies are like fishing and cooking, chosen randomly from 3-5 quests every day.

Pandaren Keystone: Pandaren Oracle Bone
Mogu Keystone: Mogu Statue Piece

Pandaria Digsites  (March Beta)

• Pandaren Tea Set – The Pandaren have a rich history of tea. While much care is given to its brewing, the secrets to properly enjoying tea have always been equally valued. This simple tea set was made during the reign of the Mogu, and provided solace and respite to the owner during a time of great pain and tyranny. Although it is cracked and broken, it serves as a reminder to take comfort in the simple pleasures of life.
• Chang Ki Board and Pieces – Pandaren love games. Chang Ki in particular has been a favorite among the Pandaren since the time of the first Pandaren emperor. Unfortunately, many of the pieces in this ancient set have been lost.
• Twin Steins of Brewfather Quan Tou Kuo – “A matching set of drinking steins, made of ebony and jade. Brewfather Quan Tou Kuo, “The Two-Fisted”, sought to mitigate the side effects of strong drink by creating the perfect duality of brews. When imbibed together in the proper ratios, the Pale Ale of Spirit and the Dark Stout of the Mind combine in the drinker’s stomach to achieve a state of enlightenment and goodwill without the loss of judgment and self-control so often experienced by less refined brews. Sadly, the Brewfather’s secrets have been lost to time, but these lovingly crafted steins serve as a permanent reminder of his expertise.
• Walking Cane of Brewfather Ren Yun – “A long cane tipped with a head of carved whalebone, once used by the enigmatic Brewfather, Ren Yun. Blind since birth, Ren Yun’s other senses were heightened. As a result, he found the brews of his time to be harsh or bitter. Years of experimentation allowed him to perfect four perfect brews that appealed to each of his other senses. And yet, the “one brew” that would appeal to all four senses at the same time eluded him. It was only at the end of his long life that he perfected the one master recipe, “The Four Senses Brew”, that was the most magnificent discovery of his generation. Sadly the recipe was lost to time, because Ren Yun’s handwriting was pretty much illegible.
• Empty Keg of Brewfather Xin Wo Yin – The heart-shaped spigot to this cask reveals it to be an artifact of the late great Brewfather Xin Wo Yin, “The Brokenhearted”. Generations ago this renowned Brewfather created “Heartswell Brew”, a concoction that infuses the drinker’s entire being with a profound sense of warmth and wellbeing. It was said that Xin Wo Yin so loved the product of his art that he wept tears of heavy sorrow over every keg that left his brewery. It’s likely that he wept over this very keg. Being that it’s empty, you feel a little morose yourself.
• Carved Bronze Mirror – While the glass itself is long gone, the reverse of this mirror is an elaborately carved bronze disc depicting the Red Crane of Hope. An inscription reads, “To my dearest Lin / My beauty, my dove / This picture of perfection / Your reflection / My love – Yao”
• Gold-Inlaid Porcelain Funerary Figurine – “Commissioned at the time of the death of a loved one, figurines such as this one help the grieved overcome their loss. This statuette depicts a beautiful young Pandaren Lorewalker named Lin. The inscription indicates the she succumbed to a terrible fever that swept through the Valley of Four Winds during the short reign of the Hozen Emperor Rikktik.
• Apothecary Tins of Yao Firmpaw – A complete set of brass apothecary jars, with neatly engraved labels, meant for the storage of a complicated array of powerful medicinal herbs. Although the exact use of most of the herbs remains a mystery, a plaque on the box containing the tins identifies the physician as Yao Firmpaw, a name still associated with health and wellness in the Valley of Four Winds because of his spectacular career. Yao never married; legend has it because his heart was forever broken.
• Pearl of Yu’lon (the Jade Serpent) - Etched around the center of this orb of jade is a serpent eating its own tail.  Inscriptions on either hemisphere read: ‘There is but one certainty – every end marks a new beginning.’ This orb, carved during the reign of Pandaren Emperor Shu Blindeye in honor of the Jade Serpent, is a representation of the his rebirth into a new body every hundred years. Yu’lon still bestows wisdom and insight from his temple in the Jade Forest.
• Standard of Nuzao – A spool of thick canvas that, when held aloft, unfurls to reveal a proud emblem of the Pandaren Empire. Heavy iron rings dangle from long ribbons of leather affixed along the bottom, pulling the banner taut. Stitched into each strip of leather is a reminder for the standard-bearer: “Fear seeks to diminish you, instead, let it reveal you.”
• Umbrella of Chi-Ji – The delicate paper canopy of this tall bamboo umbrella has been miraculously preserved since its making some time during the lengthy Thunderpaw dynasty. The underside depicts a blanket of jet-black storm clouds, while a glorious crimson sun adorns the top. Inked in elegant calligraphy across the clouds is a short message: “Hope is the sun behind a stormy sky, ever in the heart, but veiled to the eye.” Chi-Ji, the Red Crane, has stood as a symbol of hope for the Pandaren for centuries. His ornate and glorious temple is perched in a vicious jungle south of the Valley of the Four Winds.
• Spear of Xuen – Crafted during the Zandalari Troll Wars, this imposing spear is surprisingly lightweight and flexible. Its lacquered wooden shaft is gouged with deep scars, though the tip appears completely unscathed. Judging by the length of this weapon and its date of origin, you presume it was a mounted weapon intended for use from the back of a flying serpent. Scratched into the weathered handle is a note: “The only opponent is yourself.” Xuen, the White Tiger, is legendary for his ferocity and prowess in battle. It is at his temple, high in the mountains of Kun Lai Summit, that hopeful warriors temper their strength with discipline.
• Manacles of Rebellion – Forged of iron and imbued with spells of subjugation and pain, these manacles with inward facing spikes were forced onto the slave races of the Mogu. While the spells have long since faded, their cruelty still sends chills down your spine.
• Cracked Mogu Runestone – Unlike “lesser races” that need schooling in the arts of magic, the ability was innate in the Mogu. From what is known about Mogu usage of magic, it is clear that their magic users did not fall into known categories, such as mage or warlock. Special emphasis was placed on flesh-shaping or spirit-capture magic. The strange residue of the magic that was imbued in this stone is difficult to understand by the modern races of Azeroth. Curiously, some of the markings around the rune resemble the Titan language.
• Terracotta Arm – When the Mogu had exhausted their options for enslaved mortal warriors, they turned their attention to creating armies of animated constructs to do their fighting for them. Because these terracotta warriors would sometimes sit dormant for centuries, it is hard to pinpoint exactly when this one was constructed or used. However, scoring at the base of the severed arm indicates that it was felled in combat.
• Petrified Bone Whip – This whip was fashined from the spine of some large and ancient creature. The blood of many Mogu slaves were shed by this instrument of pain.
• Thunder King Insignia – The symbol of a crown and crossed lightning bolts emblazon this jade emblem. It was a badge once worn by soldiers of the first Mogu emperor, Lei Shen.
• Edicts of the Thunder King – This code of laws, written in the unified language of the first empire, has been carefully chiseled onto the stone tablet. At the top of this list is the command that sedition, insurrection and rebellion be punished by public evisceration.
• Iron Amulet – This huge iron amulet weighs as much as a battle axe. Mogu warriors often wore “”jewelry”" such as this as a demonstration of strength.
• Warlord’s Branding Iron – This branding iron emblazoned with the symbol of a minor Mogu warlord was used not on cattle, but on enslaved humanoids.
• Mogu Coin – This currency was used during the reign of mogu emperor Wai, who is depicted in all his snarling glory. The reverse of the coin depicts the changing of Mogu dynasties, a bloody process wherein the previous regime must be overpowered and executed. In many ways, ancient Mogu government was a meritocracy, based on brutal strength and terrible cunning.
• Worn Monument Ledger – Even with powerful magic at their disposal, the Mogu often preferred to use slaves to build their massive monuments. This ledger documents the cost, in slaves, during the construction of one such monument.
• Quilen Statuette – This statuette, carved during the brief reign of Mogu emperor Kang, was part of an experiment to bind Quilen servants in small stones. This experiment was abandoned as the Quilen thus bound were greatly diminished in power and thus deemed unworthy.
• Anatomical Dummy – An anatomical dummy of a Pandaren. It was used to document torture techniques.

Check out the full blog post here!

I have mixed feelings about Archaeology. I feel like it’s a good addition to professions and offers more, and more varied, gameplay than our existing professions. Still, it’s clear that some players wanted more. We wanted Archaeology to be hard to complete. We didn’t want it to be one of those professions you can max out by buying up mats at the Auction House. But random reward systems whose long-term goals are more interesting than the short term ones can feel grindy. Archaeology had too much travel time. It could be punishingly random, especially for players who imagined that it would be a guaranteed delivery mechanism for Zin’rokh (which was never the intention). Players missed a lot of the lore, which was delivered in the Archaeology journal and not as part of the survey or digging experience. We think the Mists of Pandaria expansion will be really good for Archaeology. Players will be focused on a couple of new races on a single continent, so travel and randomness will be reduced automatically, and leveling Archaeology should be a bit more convenient since there will be more opportunities to dig at a single site. We have other tricks up our sleeve too.

Post 4.3 Interview with Greg Street (Ghostcrawler)

www.youtube.com/8MoL5hFhQH8?t=7m35s

What was previewed on the PTR came through to live, tracking archaeology sites via minimap.

Archaeology areas of interest will now show on the mini-map, in addition to the World Map.

Also: Archaeology fragments will now be 5-9 per dig (at max-level), with three digs per site as usual. This is great for new and old Archaeologists to make money off of the grey items and to help finish up the rares you’re missing.

Below is a side by side comparison of the World Map and the new MiniMap Feature.

The minimap needs NO Addons anymore for tracking archaeology sites now. But it’s still nice to have certain features from Addons like Archy for right click surveying and tracking your projects.