Essex

===Iron Age===

===Iron Age===

In the Iron Age, Essex and parts of southern Suffolk were controlled by the local [[Trinovantes]] tribe.

In the Iron Age, Essex and parts of southern Suffolk were controlled by the local [[Trinovantes]] tribe.

Their production of their own coinage marks them out as one of the more advanced tribes on the island, this advantage (in common with other tribes in the south-east) is probably due to the [[Belgae#Britain|Belgic]] element within their elite. Their capital was the [[oppidum|oppidum (a type of town)]] of Colchester, Britain's oldest recorded town, which had its own mint.

Their production of their own coinage marks them out as one of the more advanced tribes on the island, this advantage (in common with other tribes in the south-east) is probably due to the [[Belgae#Britain|Belgic]] element within their elite. Their capital was the [[oppidum|oppidum (a type of town)]] of [[Colchester]], Britain's oldest recorded town, which had its own mint.

The tribe were in extended conflict with their western neighbours, the [[Catuvellauni]], and steadily lost ground. By AD 10 they had come under the complete control of the Catuvellauni, who took Colchester as their own capital.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Dunnett |first1=Rosalind |title=The Trinovantes |date=1975 |publisher=Duckworth |isbn=0-7156-0843-6 |location=London |page=passim |orig-year=1975}}</ref>

The tribe were in extended conflict with their western neighbours, the [[Catuvellauni]], and steadily lost ground. By AD 10 they had come under the complete control of the Catuvellauni, who took Colchester as their own capital.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Dunnett |first1=Rosalind |title=The Trinovantes |date=1975 |publisher=Duckworth |isbn=0-7156-0843-6 |location=London |page=passim |orig-year=1975}}</ref>