I cippi di confine

This contribution examines two Etruscan boundary markers discovered at Bettona, both characterised by the presence of the term tular and, more specifically, by the forms tular larna and tular larns. On the basis of a renewed epigraphic and linguistic analysis of the inscriptions, the study addresses both the nature of the space being delimited and the identity of the deity to whom it appears to have been entrusted. Comparison with other boundary formulae, including tinś tul(ar), confirms the value of tular as a term associated with the definition and protection of a space subject to specific regulations, including those of a cultic nature. From this perspective, Larna/Larns is connected with the theonym Laran, a deity with a marked martial and protective character, distinct from Maris, a predominantly youthful figure associated with processes of growth and transition. The boundary markers thus appear to document not simply a topographical limit, but a genuine juridical and religious boundary, through which the border was placed under divine protection and assumed an active role in the organisation and sacralisation of space.