Erlitou: 'The capital of China's earliest dynasty'

Erlitou in the heart of the Central China Plains is spread across some three square kilometres in Luoyang, Henan province. The site, dating back to 3,800 years ago, is believed to be the capital city of the Xia Dynasty, known as the earliest dynasty of China.

This is an extract from the BBC programme China's Greatest Treasures in which BBC art historian Alastair Sooke travels through modern day China to discover that much of what defines Chinese culture today can be traced back through thousands of years to some of China's most spectacular historic artefacts.

Watch the full programme here.