The talisman was a device used by the Gorgons.
The talisman was unearthed in Syria by Professor Edgar Nelson-Stanley. Careful analysis indicated that it was designed to correctly align the angle of ascension of a dimensional portal between Earth and the Gorgon homeworld. This would allow safe passage between two worlds a hundred million light years apart.
Another function reset matter to its default state. This reversed the cellular distortion of organic matter, which the Gorgons used to turn people to stone. To guarantee a successful matter reset, the talisman had to be used on the victim within a hundred minutes after the process has begun, with variations depending on the victim's body mass and age. (TV: Eye of the Gorgon)