The Romans were blamed for the presence of bedbugs in England 2,000 years later

So says Andrew Burley Teigen Guardian. He is the main researcher in the archaeological team. “Very special, especially since it happened so long ago.”

Boxes

Katie Wise Jackson was the researcher who made the discovery. She specializes in insects in archaeology. Jackson found two chests in part of the settlement dating to around 100 AD. The cockroaches are said to come from the common bedbug.

Here is the discovery:

The discovery was made in a settlement called Vindolanda. Bedbugs have previously been found in Roman settlements in Britain, but these were from a later period. With this discovery, it is now believed that bedbugs actually arrived in Britain at the same time as the Romans.

Straw

But how did bed bugs make such a long journey? One theory now is that the animals brought straw mattresses from the Romans. “Today, bedbugs are carried on planes, luggage and clothing,” Jackson says. “The Romans brought large quantities of straw and grain with them when they set up their camps.”

So there is a high probability that bed bugs will settle in that straw. “It's the perfect place for bedbugs to be.”