A Bronze Age spearhead believed to be 3,500 years old has been discovered in a stream in Dumfriesshire.

The ancient item was found in the waters of the Mennock Pass, close to Wanlockhead. It had been jammed in a rock crevice under the water.

The weapon-tip is thought to date back to between the 15th and 12th century BC.

The item has now been catalogued at Dumfries Museum and will soon be put on display.

A spokesperson for the museum told the Dumfries and Galloway Standard: "It is a small side looped spearhead. This is the most widespread of the Middle Bronze Age spearhead types in Britain."

Weapons from the Bronze Age were sometimes deliberately broken and left in or close by water and other parts of the landscape as part of rituals.

Archaeologists believe that this is what happened to the spearhead found in the water in Mennock Pass.

The spokesperson for Dumfries Museum said: "It has been examined by subject specialist at National Museums Scotland in Edinburgh, and came to Dumfries Museum a couple of weeks ago, where it will now be catalogued and photographed. 

"After this it will be put on exhibition with other Bronze Age material, including a leaf-shaped spearhead from Dunscore, and two looped spearheads, one from Crossmichael and the other from Tinwald."