I've noticed many times how workers see research shrine as a shelf for artifacts, and attempt to place artifacts on it. But since it's impossible, they just keep trying infinitely.
There is a save file where it can be reproduced:
through the back door_20170204163221
through the back door_20170204163221.meta
You will need this map to load it.
How to reproduce:
There is an unidentified artifact nearby the research shrine. Workers ignore it from the beginning. Also there are 3 artifacts in the archive, one of them is unidentified. Archive has 3 shelves too, so there is not place for the fourth artifact.
So, if you use an identified artifact from the archives, it will free one shelf, the worker will grab the fourth artifact from the research shrine and put it into archives, ie everything works as intended.
But if you wait until arcanists identify the last artifact from archives (it's an artifact of sin) and use it, a worker will grab the fourth artifact from the research shrine and will attempt to put it into the research shrine instead of archives.
No idea why it happens, but it happens every time I load the save and use the sin artifact after it has been identified.
I also noticed that in some cases, previously "destroyed" bug is repeated; good that you found the condition of reproducibility.
I double checked it by moving all saves to another folder and downloading and loading the one I uploaded here.
Here is a full guide :)
Three artifacts in archive, the sin artifact is waiting to be identified.
The fourth artifact is near the shrine.
Arcanists finished identification, I'm gonna use the sin artifact
And there we go, a worker begins the eternal struggle against the shrine
There is a save file where it can be reproduced:
through the back door_20170204163221
through the back door_20170204163221.meta
You will need this map to load it.
How to reproduce:
There is an unidentified artifact nearby the research shrine. Workers ignore it from the beginning. Also there are 3 artifacts in the archive, one of them is unidentified. Archive has 3 shelves too, so there is not place for the fourth artifact.
So, if you use an identified artifact from the archives, it will free one shelf, the worker will grab the fourth artifact from the research shrine and put it into archives, ie everything works as intended.
But if you wait until arcanists identify the last artifact from archives (it's an artifact of sin) and use it, a worker will grab the fourth artifact from the research shrine and will attempt to put it into the research shrine instead of archives.
No idea why it happens, but it happens every time I load the save and use the sin artifact after it has been identified.