The nearby Jolimont hills, a long range of hills, have been nearly constantly inhabited for thousands of years. In 1847, three grave mounds from the Middle Bronze Age were excavated. The graves dated to the mid 2nd millennium BC and contained numerous grave goods and weapons. Other graves have been discovered from the Hallstatt era, around 500 BC. A Roman road runs along the southern foot of the hills, between Lake Biel and the town of Petinesca (now Studen).