Kathlyn (Kara) Cooney is a Professor of Egyptian Art and Architecture. She served as Chair of the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures at UCLA from 2016 to 2025. Cooney’s research in coffin reuse, primarily focusing on the 21st Dynasty, is ongoing. Her research investigates the socioeconomic and political turmoil that have plagued the period, ultimately affecting funerary and burial practices in ancient Egypt. This project has taken her around the world over the span of five to six years to study and document more than 300 coffins in collections around the world, including Cairo, London, Paris, Berlin, and Vatican City. Her most recent trade book, The Good Kings: Absolute Power in Ancient Egypt and the Modern World, appeared in 2021 with National Geographic Books. Her latest book, Recycling for Death: Coffin Reuse in Ancient Egypt and the Theban Royal Caches, will be published in 2024 by The American University in Cairo Press.
