Camulodunum pavements. It may have reached a population of 30,000 at its height. It was not until the late 18th century that historians realised that Colchester's physical Brythonic (British Celtic) and Roman remains were the city mentioned in ancient literature as "Camulodunum". The earliest Iron Age defensive site at Colchester is the Pitchbury Ramparts earthwork north of the town between West Bergholt and Great Horkesley. The main earthwork defences of the Brythonic Celtic oppidum of "Camulodunon" were built later, beginning in the 1st century BC but most date from the 1st century AD. They are considered the most extensive of their
Latin influence in English already existed, and this caused enrichment of the Old English vocabulary: "culcer" and "læfel" "spoon" from Latin "coclearium" and "labellum" beside Old English "spōn" and "hlædel" (Modern English "ladle"); Old English "forca" from Latin "furca" "fork" next to Old English "gafol"; Old English "scamol" "chair, stool" from Latin "scamellum" beside native "stōl", "benc" and "setl". All told, approximately 600 words were borrowed from Latin during the Old English period. Often, the Latin word was severely restricted in sense, and was not widespread in use among the general populace. Latin words tended to be literary or scholarly terms and were not