The most likely reason that humans settled in the shaded area shown on the map is that the valley contained abundant life. Hence, Option C is right.
What supports abundant life in the valley?
For the survival of any life, the basic need is water. From the given map, it is clearly visible that plenty of water is available in that region.
If water availability is there, then it is easy for any life to survive. With the help of water, one can grow crops, plenty of grass is available for animal grazing, and many more activities can be done with the help of water.
Therefore, as the valley contained abundant life, humans settled in the shaded area. Option C is correct.
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