Extinct ET intellegence?

Question

Suppose we find the ruin built by an extinct civilization somewhere in space.

How can we know which biological remnant belong to the intellegent species? and which one is their pet or domestic animals?

How can we know the purpose of each artifact they have made? It may be lethally hazardous to test them.

Answer 1

i saw the planet of the apes, too

Answer 2

Were not there yet, so your questions are a bite too early to say the least...

But from what we begin to understand, life in general act like a symbiotic system, which mean that all scales of live within a closed environment interact with each others in some ways.

So we will determined, by the life samples detected on such site, how this symbiotic system is integrated, and where could have fit the ET specie in this.

As for the artifacts, we will CAT scans them, after having made them pass various testings (radioactivities, radiomolecular signature, and others). The ones seeming to contain or develop high level of energy will be set aside for more delicate study (as they are more capable of inflicting severe damage with high level of energy).

But from what I know, humans will not explore worlds by themselves, it is way too slow and expensive... But we can scan them and recreate their world virtually... Much safer approach as we will never bring back their virus over here and cause dangerous contaminations...