Professor Joseph Turbeville, in his book, "A Glimmer of Light from the Eye of a Giant", provides the reader with an excursion into the possible meaning of ancient reckoning numbers and their relationship with the numbers in nature. Turbeville offers numerous tables based upon the "famous Fibonacci series that appears in many natural growth processes" and, others based upon "numerical reduction of multidigit numbers to single digits". He utilizes "distilled Fibonacci numbers and multiples" presented in tables of rows and columns of digits that produce numbers and fractals that are suggestive of ancient, historically significant numbers.

Turbeville is surprised at the "symmetry, both numerical and graphical", that the tables generate. He then proceeds to relate his findings to specific events in history, such as the possible relationship of these tables to the measurements found in ancient structures, such as that of the Great Pyramid of the Giza Plateau. There are many different number series that the author cites, but special attention may is given to the intriguing 1-8-9 count, found in the baseline measurement of the Great Pyramid (756 ft = 4 x 189). And, the author then relates such measurements to the possible use of pi as expressed as a reciprocal of seven (3.142857). Another number series count that receive great emphasis concerns the 216c (216, 432, 864, etc.).

The cited number series and counts are thus related to events in nature, such as relationships to the circumference of the Earth, among other phenomena. The suggestion is that the theoretical tables of numbers possibly reveal sources of data for the construction of ancient monuments, such as the Great Pyramid. The author questions the fact whether the ancients may have devised similar tables for the construction of their works. Undoubtedly, Turbeville contributes to the interpretation that the ancient reckoning system and the measurements of ancient, monumental constructions were based upon serious and profound theoretical thinking.

Anyone who first views the Great Pyramid might superficially conclude that it is the result of the rudimentary practice of piling stone upon stone. But, as one penetrates the interior of the ancient pyramids of Egypt (and those of other parts of the world), the fact becomes obvious that their construction is based upon theoretical engineering knowledge, that in most cases still surpasses today's thinking. The corbeled ceilings within the ancient pyramids, defy explanation, even in contemporary engineering thought, not so much in terms of how they work and function, but how someone could have built them without modern-day machinery.

From there, it is not difficult to understand the relationships drawn between the mirror-image numbers of Turbeville's tables and the mirrored patterns within ancient artwork on all levels and in different fields of endeavor. From the repeat, mirrored patterns of tapestries to those of the pyramids, one can visualize a mathematical basis to the geometric patterns. The Turbeville Tables contribute to just such a visualization.

The author, in this manner, draws numerous relationships among theoretical mathematics and geometry, the encoded measurements of ancient artwork, and the number and fractal series existing in nature. On the whole, our societies of today are recognizably more distant and withdrawn from any day-to-day contact with nature. Understandably, our ancestors were more directly related to the secrets of nature. The very fact that their apparent philosophical thought and symbolism, their monumental structures, their vision in art seems to attest to a closer relationship to nature, would only suggest a theoretical and conceptual basis linked to the math and geometry of nature itself. Yet, many scholars today resist in accepting the obvious, and limit their perception by visualizing an ancient world handicapped by ignorance.

Many scholars contemplate the Great Pyramid and see no great work, but only the piling of stone upon stone, in a most empirical, brick-layer's fashion. They perceive no theoretical, conceptual design. They see, as it were, only a pile of rubble. And, they are of no mind to concede greatness to the ancients. When one reads the writings of scholars who deny the obvious accomplishments of the ancients, immediately one wonders how these scholars might think we got where we are from that ignorant past. They enjoy viewing our contemporary societies as the epitome of all things past, yet all things past are looked down upon, frowned upon.

Turbeville's quite vision through numbers and fractals greatly reinforces the obvious: that the ancients knew much more than meets the eye. The Great Pyramid is not great because of the technical feat of having piled stone upon stone. But, rather, its greatness lies in the perceived theoretical basis for its very conception, and obviously, execution. The greatness flows from the fact that numbers are perceived as mirror images, and that the simple sums of distilled numbers lead to unsuspecting posits.

All numbers are related, just as one relates to two, and two relates to three, and so on infinitely so. Therefore, to find relationships one might consider to be no great accomplishment. But, that would be the initial impression when considering the nature of numbers. But, to find specific number and fractal series as in the Fibonacci series in the light of fractal numbers, and historically significant numbers (another expression for fractal numbers), in some of the great works of the ancients, can only spur the reader onto researching even more relationships. It seems difficult to think that the ancient Egyptians happened upon the 189c, and the ancient maya happened upon an 819c, and that these two opposing events in history were simply that, a mere coincidence. Turbeville does not explore the k'awil, 819c, as we have done in our own research, but Turbeville's Tables serve as another stepping stone to comprehending such relationships and coincidences found in the past.

Turbeville's Tables suggest many other relationships among the ancient counts, although not stated specifically, such as those of the cited Khufu Mile of 6048 feet. This count brings to mind the ancient maya long-count number/fractal of 4608c. The 6076 ft. cited by Turbeville of "one minute of arc" being equal to "one nautical mile" reminds us of the 676c of the Legend of the Four Suns of the ancient Mesoamericans. There are far too many examples in Turbeville's work to cite in such a brief review. But, we encourage the reader to explore these coincidences. The number/fractal series, such as 4608, 6408, 8640, 6480, 4860, 4680, etc., found throughout the ancient reckoning systems around the world, apparently are not the result of a myriad of coincidences. They suggest an underlying theoretical management of the art of counting and mathematical computation, especially when we find these same series within geometry and theoretical constructs such as Turbeville's Tables.