<p>Understanding how agricultural practices were organised in early complex societies is essential for reconstructing the relationships among subsistence, labour, and social organisation. This study examines Xiangjiazhou, the largest known Zhou dynasty settlement in the Weishui River basin, south-central China, by integrating macrobotanical remains, phytolith evidence, and spatial analysis. The results indicate a rice-dominated agricultural economy. Charred seed remains and phytolith assemblages both show that rice (<i>Oryza sativa</i>) was the principal crop, whereas foxtail millet (<i>Setaria italica</i>) and broomcorn millet (<i>Panicum miliaceum</i>) occurred only in low frequencies and limited contexts, suggesting secondary roles within a diversified farming system. Phytolith evidence from rice plant parts further indicates a staged crop-processing sequence: the marked predominance of husk phytoliths over stem and leaf phytoliths suggests that initial threshing probably occurred off-site, with semi-cleaned spikelets brought into the settlement for later dehusking, consumption, or discard. Spatial analysis shows that plant remains were concentrated mainly in pits and wells rather than evenly distributed across occupation surfaces. These features are interpreted as secondary accumulation or refuse contexts, indicating the deposition of crop-processing debris around domestic activity zones rather than direct evidence for in situ processing inside the features themselves. Together, the evidence suggests a household-oriented and spatially organised agricultural system, combining long-standing local wet-rice farming with minor millet cultivation introduced through broader regional interactions. Xiangjiazhou therefore provides a case study for understanding how frontier communities negotiated crop choice, labour organisation, and local autonomy within the changing sociopolitical landscapes of the Zhou dynasty.</p>