git-archaeology skillA
git-archaeology is agent-read markdown (skill) from alexhawat/mergecraft: Investigate how code reached its current state — when a line, function, import, or whole file was changed or deleted, who removed it, and what it looked like before. Use when `git blame` came up empty, when content has been refactored away, or when you need the full evolution of a function across commits..
Indexed from public GitHub and served as immutable, content-addressed versions. Install it pinned to an exact SHA-256 with the mdr CLI, and every file is verified against the hash recorded here before it reaches your agent. The deterministic audit below grades the latest version, and the same file always earns the same grade.
What the file says
# Git history archaeology `git blame` only sees what's still in the working tree. For anything that was deleted, moved, or refactored away, you need the commands below. Most agents under-use them and end up scrolling through `git log -p` instead. ## Output discipline (read first) `git log -p` on a long-lived file can dump tens of thousands of lines and blow the context window. Always: 1. **Start narrow.** Use `--oneline` or `--stat` to get a list of candidate commits. 2. **Drill in.** Use `git show <sha> -- <path>` for the diff of one specific commit. 3. **Scope the search.** Add `--since="3 months ago"`, `-n 20`, or a path restriction (`-- <path>`) so output stays manageable. 4. **Avoid `git log -p` without a path filter** on any non-trivial repo. ## Decision tree (by agent intent) ### "When did this exact line, string, or import disappear?" ```bash git log -S'<exact-string>' --oneline -- <file> ``` The pickaxe. Returns commits that **changed the count** of that string in the file. The most recent hit is typically the removal commit. Add `-p` only after you've narrowed to a few candidates. Notes: …
Read the whole file at its exact version.
How to install
mdr add alexhawat/mergecraft/git-archaeology@git:20260728.b8e83a8mdr add alexhawat/mergecraft/git-archaeology@sha256:44e5cadde56f4099Pin to a label to follow the author's releases, or to a sha256 to freeze the exact bytes forever. Either way the resolved hash is written to mdr.lock, and mdr install reproduces it on any machine.
[](https://markdownregistry.com/a/art_axynzvgyh6zk5w7i)
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Versions
Audit of the latest version
- pass: Frontmatter block present
- pass: Frontmatter declares a name
- pass: Frontmatter declares a description
- pass: Size between 200 bytes and 200 KB (7129 bytes)
- pass: No zero-width or bidi control characters
- pass: No instruction hidden inside an HTML comment
- pass: No link to an exfiltration or paste host
- pass: No credential-shaped string
- pass: No instruction to send local credentials anywhere
- pass: No text hidden with inline styles
- pass: No prompt-injection phrasing
- pass: No curl or wget piped into a shell
- pass: No recursive delete of root, home or parent
- pass: No instruction to read or print local credentials
- pass: No base64 blob over 200 characters
- pass: No link to a raw IP address
- pass: No script tag
Source
alexhawat/mergecraft · 11 stars · license MIT · pushed 2026-09-23 · branch main
API
GET https://markdownregistry.com/api/v1/artifacts/art_axynzvgyh6zk5w7i GET https://markdownregistry.com/api/v1/resolve?ref=alexhawat/mergecraft/git-archaeology GET https://markdownregistry.com/api/v1/blob/44e5cadde56f409963f82e15b3f4883780c986b10314d604e31d9bc99b1f6148
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