The transition from the Shang Dynasty (ca. 1600 BCE-1046 BCE) to the Warring States period (475-221 BCE) marked a pivotal era in the development of Chinese historical civilization, shifting from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age. During this period, the middle section of the eastern Taihang Mountain served as both a agricultural and animal husbandry transition zone and also a key passageway connecting the Central Plains with northern ethnic groups. However, the agricultural development in this area during this time remains unclear. This study analyzed 67 flotation samples from the Ximufo site (3572-2873 cal. BP) and the Zhongshan-Gulingshou sites (2515-2224 cal.BP), identifying 8,026 and 3,348 charred seeds, respectively. The results revealed crops such as foxtail millet (Setaria italica), broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum), wheat (Triticum aestivum), soybean (Glycine max), and rice (Oryza sativa) with foxtail millet dominating (ubiquity >87 %). Non-crop remains included fruits (e.g., walnut, prunus, peach, jujube, melon seeds, plum, and kiwi), weeds, and spices, with forage grasses constituting over 74 % of weed remains, indicating significant animal husbandry. The delta N-15 values of foxtail millet decreased from 4.82 +/- 1.16 parts per thousand in the Warring States period to 2.56 +/- 0.69 parts per thousand in the Shang Dynasty, suggesting intensive application of organic fertilizers for farmland management in the eastern foothills of Taihang Mountain during the Warring States Period. Our results may not only help fill the knowledge gaps on subsistence economy and farmland management in this region, but also deepen our understanding of the spread of dryland agriculture and its relationship with environment and human ecological adaptation.