Ancient cities & cuss words
Time: 2400 BC (Old Kingdom)
Place: Memphis
Googled: variations of ancient egyptian city, buildings, cuss words, etc. Also checked through several books on the topic and coming up empty.
I'm looking for two things:
1) the layout of an ancient egyptian city in the Old Kingdom. Specifically, what sort of buildings, monuments, houses and the like would someone walking through Memphis in the 5th dynasty or thereabouts encounter? I'm getting temples, so far, but I'm in need of a little more detail. How about market places, houses, state buildings, grain storage places? Which would be IN the city, which on the outskirts, and what would they *look like*?
2) ancient swear words. So far, I've only got "By Seth's balls", and I could really use any sort of variation on it. When googling I'm only finding actual spells and curses and endlessly long winded "may your mother blablablablablabla". I'm looking for contemporary versions of f*ck, sh*t, damnit, and the like.
Thanks a heap for any ideas and suggestions!
Place: Memphis
Googled: variations of ancient egyptian city, buildings, cuss words, etc. Also checked through several books on the topic and coming up empty.
I'm looking for two things:
1) the layout of an ancient egyptian city in the Old Kingdom. Specifically, what sort of buildings, monuments, houses and the like would someone walking through Memphis in the 5th dynasty or thereabouts encounter? I'm getting temples, so far, but I'm in need of a little more detail. How about market places, houses, state buildings, grain storage places? Which would be IN the city, which on the outskirts, and what would they *look like*?
2) ancient swear words. So far, I've only got "By Seth's balls", and I could really use any sort of variation on it. When googling I'm only finding actual spells and curses and endlessly long winded "may your mother blablablablablabla". I'm looking for contemporary versions of f*ck, sh*t, damnit, and the like.
Thanks a heap for any ideas and suggestions!