Codebase Archaeology

Q: What is a Claude Code skill and how does the Codebase Archaeology skill fit in?

A Claude Code skill is a SKILL.md file that lives under ~/.claude/skills/<name>/ and tells the Claude Code CLI agent how to perform a specific task (instructions, prompts, allowed tools). Skills are auto-discovered at session start. Codebase Archaeology is one of 67,000+ skills indexed in the open ClaudSkills catalog, classified under the General category. Learn more at https://claudskills.com/learn/what-is-skill-md/.

Category: General · Sub-category: business-ops · Last updated: 2026-06-10

Systematically explore unfamiliar codebases to build working mental models. Use when onboarding to new project, "what does this do", or understanding legacy code.

About this skill (catalog notes)

Codebase Archaeology includes 9 code blocks for direct copy-paste. The SKILL.md runs to about 1,119 words, in the catalog's typical mid-range.

Source: www.12factoragentops.com
Original author: boshu2
Indexed lastmod: 2026-06-10
Catalog position: General · business-ops
Indexed related skills: 10

How Codebase Archaeology fits the catalog

Codebase Archaeology sits in the General category under the business-ops sub-topic in the ClaudSkills catalog. There are 10 related skills indexed alongside it; comparing a few before installing usually reveals which fits your workflow best.

These notes are auto-generated from features detected in the SKILL.md file and from this catalog's structure — they aren't part of the source repository.

From the source SKILL.md

What this skill does

Codebase Archaeology is a community-contributed Claude Code skill in the business-ops sub-category. It ships as a SKILL.md file that Claude Code auto-discovers under ~/.claude/skills/codebase-archaeology/ and loads when your prompt matches the skill's trigger.

When to invoke it: Use when onboarding to new project, "what does this do", or understanding legacy code.

Who uses this skill

The Codebase Archaeology Claude Code skill is built for Claude Code users and developers across all disciplines looking for general-purpose AI assistance. It's part of ClaudSkills (also referred to as Claude Skills or Claude Code Skills) — the open community-curated registry of 119,000+ SKILL.md files for Anthropic's Claude Code agent and the wider Claude ecosystem (Claude API, Claude Agent SDK).

How to install

Free

Manual install (2 steps)

mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills/codebase-archaeology
curl -L https://claudskills.com/skills/codebase-archaeology/SKILL.md \
  -o ~/.claude/skills/codebase-archaeology/SKILL.md

Or just download SKILL.md directly and drop it into ~/.claude/skills/codebase-archaeology/. Claude Code auto-discovers it on next session.

Skills live at ~/.claude/skills/codebase-archaeology/SKILL.md on macOS/Linux, or %USERPROFILE%\.claude\skills\codebase-archaeology\SKILL.md on Windows. See the full install guide for step-by-step instructions.

📱 Install from your phone or desktop Telegram

Open @claudskills_bot on Telegram, tap Open Desktop App, and the desktop app installs this skill for you. Or share the bot link with a colleague — they get the same one-tap install. Learn more →

Pro

One-click install via the desktop app

The ClaudSkills desktop app installs any skill directly into ~/.claude/skills/ with one click — no terminal required. Pro starts at $9/mo or $149 lifetime.

Pro

For the full experience including quality scoring and one-click install features for each skill — upgrade to Pro.

See pricing → Download desktop app

Frequently asked questions

How do I install the Codebase Archaeology Claude Code skill?

Install via the ClaudSkills desktop app (one click) or copy SKILL.md from the source repository to ~/.claude/skills/codebase-archaeology/SKILL.md and restart Claude Code. Both flows are detailed at claudskills.com/install/.

What does the Codebase Archaeology skill do?

Systematically explore unfamiliar codebases to build working mental models. Use when onboarding to new project, "what does this do", or understanding legacy code.

Is this skill free to install?

Yes. ClaudSkills is an open registry — every skill keeps its source repository's license, and manual install via copy is free. ClaudSkills Pro ($9/mo, $79/yr, or $149 one-time) adds one-click install via the desktop app and a multi-signal Quality Score.

When should I use the Codebase Archaeology skill?

Use Codebase Archaeology when your Claude Code task falls under the General category — specifically in the business ops area. Claude Code auto-discovers installed skills and invokes the right one based on the task description, so you can also ask Claude directly (e.g. "use Codebase Archaeology" or describe the task and let Claude pick). Browse related skills at /category/general/.

What is a Claude Code skill and how does the Codebase Archaeology skill fit in?

A Claude Code skill is a SKILL.md file that lives under ~/.claude/skills/<name>/ and tells the Claude Code CLI agent how to perform a specific task (instructions, prompts, allowed tools). Skills are auto-discovered at session start. Codebase Archaeology is one of 67,000+ skills indexed in the open ClaudSkills catalog, classified under the General category. Learn more at /learn/what-is-a-claude-skill/.

Attribution & license

Source: https://github.com/boshu2/agentops/blob/HEAD/skills/codebase-archaeology/SKILL.md
Author: boshu2
Website: https://www.12factoragentops.com

Cite this skill

If you reference this skill in a blog post, paper, or documentation, you can cite it as:

APA

boshu2. (2026). Codebase Archaeology [Claude Code skill]. ClaudSkills. https://claudskills.com/skills/codebase-archaeology/

BibTeX

@misc{codebase-archaeology-2026,
  author    = {boshu2},
  title     = {Codebase Archaeology [Claude Code skill]},
  year      = {2026},
  publisher = {ClaudSkills},
  url       = {https://claudskills.com/skills/codebase-archaeology/}
}

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Badge

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