Although this part of Cordoba province has always been sparsely populated, different cultures have left their mark here since prehistory. The Municipal Archaeology Museum in Montoro is an ideal place to discover the history of its first settlers. The gallery at the medieval shrine of Santa María de la Mota has an exhibition with archaeological remains that go from the Palaeolithic period to Iberian and Greek ceramics. It is an attractive historical journey that reaches its peak with the star exhibit a majestic sculpture of the emperor Trajan.