Chur is often referred to as the "oldest city in Switzerland," primarily due to its long history of human habitation within the present-day Chur city area. The oldest evidence of human presence can be found not far from the Sennhof, particularly below the Hofhügel: mobile groups of hunters and gatherers repeatedly set up their camps here at the end of the last ice age, more than 10,000 years ago. Early humans were also active in the area of the present-day Sennhof. During excavations in 2020, the oldest evidence was found in the form of large fire pits, dating back to the early 5th millennium BCE, or the Neolithic period. Many millennia later, people once again established small settlements with permanent dwellings here, especially during the 2nd and 1st millennium BCE (Bronze/Iron Age). In the Early Middle Ages, the area was used for burial purposes.