That thing where you realize your ancestors weren't terribly nice people

So I've begun reading basic information (links to Korean page) about the history of my heroine's people circa 1st century B.C. I've learned this in school, glanced over web pages and so on but now I'm reading with a purpose in mind, namely to learn what kind of people these were and how their worldview and customs might have affected my heroine's story.

One thing that strikes me is that the customs of Buyeo, or Buri, were oppressive as hell by modern standards. Their politics were centered entirely around the nobility, and it seems their subjects were commoners in name but close to slaves in terms of the way they were treated. "Serf" may be the Western equivalent of their status. We know about four articles of Buri's laws, which were:

( Murder, arson, and jaywalking. Or rather, jealousy. )