Consider this:
A fallen spaceship is approached by a person of very high intelligence. Think of someone really really smart, like top 50 in the world.
How long would take for such a person to grasp another culture´s language and how their technology works? Would it even be possible? Or what would take to make it possible?
Even if we consider that the person making the analysis comes from the same planet, would be possible to crack the language? I live in the same planet as you guys and I cant read or understand any other language than the ones I already know.
Narrowing it down:
The person that makes the analysis has "immortal" lifespan. Comes from highly advanced culture, like elders, or the first ones in the universe. Member of a society extremely advanced that in the past was responsible for seeding other civilizations into existence.
Now he must analyze one artifact (the spaceship) that was made from a civilization formed by descendants (not directly) of his own.
Both civilizations didn't have any previous contact. But the beings are basically the same, lets go with essentially humans.
Is it cheating saying that the elder has super-intelligence and therefore can crack the language and linguistic systems and symbology of the newer civilization?