The castle town of Arconciel, first mentioned in the 11th century, stands on a promontory fort overlooking the River Sarine. Protected on all sides by 50m-high cliffs, a deep ditch dug runs along its eastern side. The castle and its village blend into the landscape while irrevocably changing it. Topography, the use of rock and man-made constructions are intimately linked and give meaning to this site, which was once a settlement. The rock was used and shaped to perform specific functions within the castle town: it was used as a floor, urban features were carved into it, and the fortification and urban topography were inscribed in the bedrock. In the middle of the promontory, a 4-metre-high molasse piton topped by a building has been shaped and appears to act as a gateway to ensure control. There are features on all 4 sides that bear witness to the structures that once leaned against them. On either side of the rocky outcrop, the structure of the habitat is different. The aim of this paper is to report on the methods used to approach the rock features at the castle town of Arconciel and the results obtained. The aim is to test the methods applied to other sites and verify their effectiveness. Comparisons with French and Swiss sites will be sought.