LONG before there was any such place as Scotland a local craftsman or farmer lost or mislaid a perfectly good chisel.

Fast forward through more than three millennia since that far-off day and the same tool, in excellent condition (minus its haft) has been found in Barrhead, probably close to where its original owner left it.

The find may come to be seen as one of the most exciting local archaeological discoveries of recent years.

Small and finely crafted, the Barrhead find dates to the Bronze Age, and is one of dozens of items unearthed by members of the public – sometimes using metal detectors, and often just by chance – and handed in to the national body which governs “treasure trove”.

It is now headed for the already impressive Glasgow Museums collection, and in future may help archaeologists get a better understanding of the sort of communities that were developing back in prehistoric times in what's now East Renfrewshire

The chisel dates from the Bronze Age, which means its original owner lived during the second millennium BC, so it could be anything up to 4,000 years old.

The Treasure Trove unit at National Museums Scotland narrows the likely date down a little to Middle Bronze Age, or 1500BC to 1200BC, and says it's one of the more interesting finds of its type.

It notes: “Middle Bronze Age flanged chisels appear to fall into two types depending on whether the blade is set adzewise or axewise to the flanges, and were used as light woodworking tools.

“Only a small number of flanged chisels are known from Scotland so well-provenanced metal detected finds are a welcome addition to the overall inventory of Bronze Age tools”.

The man who used it probably died young, and would have lived in a landscape very different from today's farmland – much of the country was still covered in the ancient Caledonian Forest, and he and his tribe perhaps had to work hard clearing ground suitable for crops or for keeping livestock.

They would have lived in a landscape where threats from neighbouring tribes would sometimes lead to violence, but may often have been more worried by wolves, wild boar or the occasional rogue bear.

At some point, possibly well after this tool was last used, local tribesmen turned Duncarron Hill (once a volcano) between Barrhead and Neilston into a fortress which dominated the surrounding area.

Civilisation, rough and ready, had arrived.