Ancient Egyptian society was based on agriculture along the Nile River. Life revolved around the annual flooding of the Nile, which provided rich soil for farming after the waters receded. Egyptian culture treated men and women equally and featured important goddesses in their mythology. Hieroglyphs were a pictographic written language used in Egypt for over 3,500 years. Pharaohs served as high priests, heads of state, and were viewed as semi-divine beings. Pyramids were built as tombs for pharaohs and queens, with some pyramid builders being permanent employees rather than slaves. Egyptians practiced mummification to ensure safe passage to the afterlife.