The site of Zhengzhou Shang City (ca. 1509-1315 cal. BC) was the capital of the early Shang Dynasty in China. Archaeological excavations have unearthed a ditch containing approximately one hundred unusual dead human skulls in the rammed-earth foundations of the palace area. The identity and origin of the skulls have long been disputed. In this work, strontium, carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analyses were carried out on 11 human skulls and 1 tooth from the ditch, as well as on 11 human bones, 11 human teeth from the ordinary tombs and 10 pig teeth from the Zhengzhou Shang City site. We determined that, in Zhengzhou Shang City, the local strontium isotope ratio ranges from 0.711606 to 0.711884, and ordinary inhabitants consumed mainly C₄ plants supplemented by C₃ plants. Moreover, humans buried in the ditch have ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr values from 0.711335 to 0.711741 and consumed only C₄ plants. Combining the isotopic data with the archaeological and cultural context, it is concluded that the unusual human skulls in the ditch are most likely those of prisoners of war captured by the central forces conquering the Xiaomintun area of Anyang in the early Shang Dynasty. The results provide valuable insight into the history of violence and military warfare in the early Chinese dynasty.

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 ( Oryza sativa ) was the principal crop, whereas foxtail millet ( Setaria italica ) and broomcorn millet ( Panicum miliaceum ) 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.