ByYurii LuzhkoUpdated October 16, 2026

Kenshi Engineering Research & Ancient Science Book locations

You need 19 Engineering Research and 164 Ancient Science Books to research everything. The wiki's guaranteed-spawn table puts 35 Engineering Research in 18 places — the workshops of the Deadlands, the Ashland domes and the big labs — and 198 books in 32. The richest single stop is Ancient Tech Lab in The Iron Trail: 3 Engineering Research and 17 books. Books found in shops are artifacts too, so they do not restock.

Engineering Research needed

11 techs

Placed in the world

18 places

Science Books needed

164

55 techs

Placed in the world

198

32 places

Easier spots for a new squad

Most ruins with books are heavily guarded. The wiki points to three that are not.

Workshop Complex

1 Engineering Research · 5 books guaranteed

In The Grid, with no hostile guards — though small groups of Beak Things from The Crater sometimes wander through. Bring a lockpicker or a few sets of tools.

On the map

Leaning Tower

4 books guaranteed

In the Floodlands, unguarded, but it only holds a few books.

On the map

Suspicious Lab

3 books guaranteed

The trail of books the Cannibals leave on the way to it refills every day or two, which the wiki calls the best renewable source.

On the map

Every guaranteed spawn

Per place, from the wiki's Artifacts table. Most Engineering Research first, then most books. AI Cores at the same place are shown too.

Engineering ResearchAncient Science BooksAI Cores

3174
Ancient Tech Lab
The Iron Trail
On the map
3164
Ancient Tech Lab
Shun
Map: all 2 Ancient Tech Lab
3133
Scraphouse
Deadlands
On the map
33
Ashland Dome I
Ashlands
On the map
2143
Tower of Abuse
Venge
On the map
2133
Narko's Trap
Iron Valleys
Inside the lab building.
On the map
2123
Island Lab
Fishman Island
On the map
291
Southern Hive
Royal Valley
Southern Hive town page On the map
28
Flats Lagoon
Flats Lagoon
In the Travel and Repairs Shop, which can sell them.
Flats Lagoon town page On the map
24
Deadland Workshop (Northwest)
Deadlands
Map: all 3 Deadland Workshop
24
Deadland Workshop (South)
Deadlands
Map: all 3 Deadland Workshop
24
Deadland Workshop (West)
Deadlands
Map: all 3 Deadland Workshop
243
Spider Factory
Forbidden Isle
On the map
17
Skinhouse HQ
Sonorous Dark
Skinhouse HQ town page On the map
15
Workshop Complex
The Grid
On the map
14
Dead Workshop
The Pits East
On the map
1
Post-Ancient Workshop
Purple Sands
On the map
1
Post-Ancient Workshop
Vain
On the map
6
Ancient Labs
Burning Forest
On the map
6
Ancient Labs
The Crater
On the map
6
Tower of Spiders
Stobe's Garden
On the map
5
Ancient Labs
Floodlands
On the map
5
Ancient Labs
Obedience
On the map
5
Ancient Labs
Forbidden Isle
On the map
5
Crumbling Labs
Stobe's Gamble
On the map
4
Leaning Tower
Floodlands
On the map
4
Swamped Lab
The Swamp
On the map
4
World's End
Arm of Okran
Stocked by the Adventurer Mechanical Shop.
World's End town page On the map
3
Old Control Tower
Venge
On the map
3
Suspicious Lab
Floodlands
On the map
2
Reprogramming Workshop
Deadlands
On the map
2
Tower of Fog
Vain
On the map
2
Tower Of Ninjas
Border Zone
On the map
1
Cult Village
Stormgap Coast
In the Bughouse.
Cult Village town page On the map
1
Tower of Goats
Sinkuun
On the map

Shops that can stock them

Engineering Research — a chance at the Travel and Repairs Shop and the Scraphouse (base value c.8,000).
Ancient Science Books — the Scraphouse, the Travel and Repairs Shop in Flats Lagoon, and a shop in World's End (the wiki's pages name two different ones) (base value c.5,000).

Per the wiki, books in shops spawn as artifacts and do not restock once bought.

Contraband in the Holy Nation

Ancient Science Books are illegal in Holy Nation towns, like AI Cores. Leave them in a chest before you visit.

What Engineering Research unlocks

11 techs, 19 in all. Plan them in the tech tree.

Level 3Outpost Type III×2 Skeleton Repair Beds×2 Crossbow Crafting×1 Hashish Production×1 Heavy Building Foundations×1 Large Building Shells×1 Plate Armour Crafting×1

Level 4Outpost Type IV×2 Copper Alloys×1

Level 5Large Defensive Walls×3

Level 6Strong Defensive Walls×4

What Ancient Science Books unlock

55 techs, 164 books in all, by tech level.

Level 3Tech Level 4×4 Ore Drill 2 (Pointless)×3 Heavy Generator Theory×2 Ore Drill×2 Advanced Weapon Smithing×1 Mounted Crossbows II×1 Prototype Harpoon Turrets×1 Robotics×1 Steel Bars×1 Wells III×1

Level 4Tech Level 5×8 Hiver Skeleton Legs×6 Automatic Flour Grinding×4 Hiver Skeleton Arms×4 Semi-Automatic Ore Drill×4 Chain Armour Crafting×3 Advanced Stone Mining 2×2 Advanced Weapon Grades 2×2 Advanced Wind Generator Theory×2 Double-Barrel Harpoon Turret×2 Harpoon Turrets mkII×2 Steel Bars 2×2 Advanced Harpoonery×1 Advanced Medicine×1 Advanced Splints×1 Advanced Stone Mining×1 Advanced Weapon Grades×1 Automatic Loom (Cotton)×1 Automatic Loom (Hemp)×1

Level 6Steel Bars 3×3

And the Power Core?

Not a research item: the wiki says it has no use beyond its sale value (base c.3,000). It turns up in the same kind of ancient ruins:

Ancient Labs Armoury Ruin Archive Town Leaning Tower Lost Town Old Empire Watchtower Dead Workshop Deadland Workshop Post-Ancient Workshop Workshop Complex

Keep exploring

Engineering Research FAQ

Where do I find Engineering Research in Kenshi?

The wiki calls it near-guaranteed at the Post-Ancient Workshops, the Workshop Complex and the Deadland Workshops. Its spawn table places 35 across 18 places, at most 3 at one spot: Scraphouse (Deadlands), Ashland Dome I (Ashlands), Ancient Tech Lab (The Iron Trail), Ancient Tech Lab (Shun).

How much Engineering Research do you need?

19, across 11 techs — mostly building and wall upgrades, plate armour, crossbows and copper alloys.

How many Ancient Science Books do you need?

164 for every tech that costs them, counted from each tech's wiki page. The wiki's spawn table places 198 across 32 places, and Ancient Tech Lab in The Iron Trail holds the most (17).

Can you buy Ancient Science Books?

A few: the Scraphouse and a shop each in Flats Lagoon and World's End can have them, but they are artifacts and do not restock once bought.