The peak of La Danta—one of the world's largest pyramids—pokes through the forest canopy. "All this was abandoned nearly 2,000 years ago," says archaeologist Richard Hansen. "It's like finding Pompeii ...

The crucible of mega-stardom is for some the eye of the storm, and for others the storm itself. Some artists take deeper breaths in the rarefied air of celebrity and make the best work of their lives ...