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Five thousand years ago, an ancient civilization known as the Caral-Supe flourished in what is now a region of north-central coastal Peru. The Caral were remarkable for sustaining a complex urban society and building monumental structures, including pyramids that took shape at the same time as the earliest Egyptian pyramid. The Caral inhabited their land for a thousand years. Then one day they simply disappeared. So, what happened to the oldest-known civilization in the Western Hemisphere?

Click through this gallery and find out more about this little-known Peruvian civilization.

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The Cara-Supe, also known as the Norte Chico, is the oldest-known civilization in the Americas. It flourished between the 4th and 2nd millennia BCE.

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This Pre-Columbian era society settled in various locations in what is now the Caral region of north-central coastal Peru. The most important population center was Caral-Supe, its name derived from the remains of the ancient city of Caral and the Supe Valley.

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The Sacred City of Caral-Supe, or simply Caral, was built between 2672 and 2100 BCE.

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Attributed an antiquity of 5,000 years dating back to the Late Archaic Period, Caral is one of the largest and most complex urban centers in the Western Hemisphere.

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The 1,500-acre (606-hectare) site is situated situated 125 miles (201 km) north of Lima and 14 miles (22 km) from the Pacific coast.

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Caral boasts an astonishing complex of monumental architecture, including the remains of colossal pyramid structures built at the same time as the earliest Egyptian pyramid.

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In fact, Caral features six ancient pyramids, the largest being the Pirámide Mayor, which stands nearly 100 feet (30 m) tall.

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Pirámide Mayor would have functioned as an administrative and religious center, and served as the city's principal hub.

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Caral's sunken circular plazas are believed by archaeologists to have served as open-air markets, where people gathered to exchange fruits and vegetables such as beans, peppers, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes.

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The atrium was the most important ceremonial site. Reached by a central staircase, it held the fire altar and was surrounded by stepped terraces.

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The Caral archaeological site is also known for its remarkably well-preserved amphitheaters, quite possibly related to religious ceremonies.

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At its peak, approximately 3,000 people are believed to have lived in Caral. They resided in earthwork dwellings, made up of groups or families.

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Near the religious buildings, accommodation was larger, built for Caral's influential elite.

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Unlike some other ancient civilizations, Caral lacks evidence of defensive fortifications, suggesting that it may have been a peaceful society.

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The Caral-Supe constructed a huanca (monolith) opposite their pyramids. Considered sacred, with multiple symbolisms, huancas were worshipped and given rituals and offerings.

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Caral was discovered relatively recently, in fact in 1948 by the American historian Paul Kosok. At first, many archaeologists thought its structures were of more recent origin.

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But in the late 1990s, Peruvian anthropologist and archaeologist Ruth Shady Solís and her team established Caral's ancient heritage by undertaking extensive fieldwork and carbon dating.

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During excavations, Solís found no evidence of any ceramics, leading her to conclude that Caral was not only pre-Columbian but existed before the advent of pot-firing technology. But she needed to substantiate her claims.

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This she did by unearthing the remains of reed-woven bags, known as shicras (pictured). These were filled with large stones to support the retaining walls of the various pyramids.

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As work progressed, Solís and her team found the remains of gourds (vessels made of the dried shells of melons, pumpkins, etc.), supporting her theory that Caral was established before the advent of pottery. Mastering the art of pottery is a normal stage in a culture's development. Without pottery it is impossible for people to boil food or to store liquids.

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Another significant Caral site excavated Dr Solís was Vichima, the ruins of which lie near the coast about 90 miles (150 km) north of the capital Lima. Here, Solís' team made an astonishing discovery inside a public ceremonial building—a series of carved scenes depicting iconography including a human-like toad and representations of people. She believed the carvings portrayed humans waiting for rainfall to give continuity of life.

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Also unearthed at Vichama were numerous flutes made of pelican bones, relics of the importance of music to the ancient people of Caral.

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Experts believe Vichima was an ancient agricultural and fishing community and, besides the Sacred City of Caral-Supe, consider it one of the most important population centers from the Caral civilization.

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Caral has remained relatively untouched due to its late discovery. But one question remains unanswered: why was it abandoned after being inhabited for nearly a thousand years?

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There is no evidence that a single event, an earthquake for example, or a large flood, ended the occupation of the ancient citadel.

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Some archaeologists have put forward the suggestion that prolonged drought could have prompted the mass migration of the population.

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Others surmise that it's more likely that several factors contributed to the decline of the state. These include internal strife and conflict, though this theory is difficult to prove.

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Once abandoned, Caral appears to have been occupied only twice and then not systematically: once in the so-called Middle Formative or Early Horizon, about 1000 BCE; and once in the States and Lordships period, between 900 and 1440 CE, according to UNESCO.

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And it was UNESCO that inscribed the Sacred City of Caral-Supe as a World Heritage Site in 2009.

Sources: (History) (Ancient Origins) (BBC) (UNESCO)