Society was structured into strict classes, with the pharaoh on top and slave laborers at the bottom. In between were the nobility, priests, scribes, skilled craftsmen, and farmers. Summary. Ancient Egyptian life was rooted in religious, conservative values of stability and harmony. Marriage was sacred, with women holding legal rights; divorce was fair and common. Childbirth involved rituals and symbolic names, and children were unclothed until age six. c. 3100–2686 BC in Egypt.