| Summary: | Abstract This paper provides a case study of social development from the Late Bronze and Early Iron Age on the Bothnian Bay coast. The focus is on the burial site of Tahkokangas and the ancient Oulujoki river estuary in Finland. The archaeological record of the area is marked by numerous cooking pit and stone burial sites. By analysing the nature of the stone structures in Tahkokangas and the distribution of the surrounding sites, an attempt is made to see through the material remains into the community itself. In particular, aspects of social transformation such as the inner socio-political workings of the community are studied. The resulting interpretation is that the local community of the Oulujoki river was connected to a European-wide economic network, which acted as a catalyst for social stratification. Individuals who gained access to trade also gained prominence with their peers and rose in hierarchy to eventually establish their own political entity. Tahkokangas is interpreted as a manifestation of this. The structures at the site are identified as burials that housed the high ranking dead. Those who rose to high rank within the studied community were dependent on the access to trade and eventually, when long-distance trade became unreliable, a social reorganization was carried out.
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