own court clothes, jewels and vessels as a personal trousseau, and
she was accompanied to Nagar by male and female servants and
functionaries.^24 In the case of Ki“,^25 it may be supposed that the
recorded income (mu-DU) of thousands of animals refers to the bridal
gift perhaps given by the court of Ki“.5.3 Polygamy, or at least concubinage, is attested in the royal
court.^26 Dozens of royal wives/concubines (dam en) are mentioned.^27
They were differentiated by rank, probably according to their age
and origin. Among the most important were the four dam-ma¢,
“main wives” of king Yirkab-damu, and then, during the following
reign of YiƩar-damu, one Dusigu, a secondary wife of Yirkab-damu
who was his successor’s mother (ama-gal en), without having been
a queen.- P I
6.1 There are many administrative texts concerning real estate.^28
For the maintenance of its personnel, the palace granted subsistence
land (gána kú), sometimes together with draft animals.^29 The colophon
of 75.1668, a list of rural estates (é) and arable fields (gána-ki) asso-
ciated with various villages, is: é-é Ib-du-dA“-darlú en ì-na-sum-sù,
“rural estates of I., which the king has given to him.” Large sub-
sistence fields attributed to the king, the queen, and to members of
the elite may also be recorded (75.12448+).6.2 Six texts list villages (uruki), sometimes together with their ugula,
owned or under the control of named persons, who are sons of Ib-
rí-um.^30 These documents (as well as ARET II 27 and 75.1844) may(^24) Biga, “The Marriage of Eblaite Princess...”
(^25) Archi, “Gifts for a Princess.”
(^26) Biga, “Femmes de la famille royale.. .,” “Frauen in der Wirtschaft.. .,” “Donne
alla corte.. .,” “Enfants et nourrices.. .,” and “Wet-Nurses...”
(^27) Archi, “Studies in Eblaite Prosopography,” 245–62, also for Ib-rí-umand of his
son I-bí-zi-kir, and “Les femmes du roi......”; Tonietti, “Le liste delle dam en...”
(^28) See Milano, “Ébla: gestion des terres.. .” for a classification of texts dealing
with tenure of land.
(^29) Ibid., 152.
(^30) ARET VII 151, 152, 153, 75.1470, 75.1625, and 75.1964 = MEE 10 33; see
Milano, “Ébla: gestion des terres.. .,” 154.
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