The west frontier of Baetica to Lusitania (AD) Fines, Serpa, Moura and the historio-graphical invention of Arucci Nova.

Fixing administrative limits inside the Roman Empire was a political process. It implied jurisdiction on the territory and it allows us to perceive nuances and details between the two divided territories. From this point of view, studying the division between Baetica and Lusitania helps us to understand the administrative landscape of the provincial ensembles. However, the research on west area has suggested two polarised hypotheses. These do not permit us to appreciate the territorial coherence correctly. This paper is a review of all the documentation available from Serpa and Moura (Portugal) and it provides a reasoned reading of the frontier landscape of this area.

Keywords: Frontiers, Baetica, Lusitania, Territorial limits, Serpa, Moura, Roman administration.