The Merv Oasis had been extensively explored in 1904 by an American team; however, the reports published were of a preliminary nature.  During the period 1940–50, the Asian Republics started establishing archaeological institutions in their respective countries. Among them, the South Turkmenistan Complex Archaeological Expedition was established in 1946 by Masson under the aegis of the Turkmenistan Academy of Sciences to carry out explorations at several locations. These explorations included:
* 1947-1952: exploration by Alexey Okladnikov of mesolithic sites 
* 1940s and 1950s: Eneolithic and Bronze Age excavations by Boris Kuftin
* 1955-62: excavations by V.M. Masson, I.N. Khlopin, and Viktor Sarianidi of neolithic sites at many locations, including Jietun at the Geoksur Oasis
* Since 1965: Bronze Age excavations by Masson covering, among others, the site at Altyndepe 
* Excavations by G. N. Lisitsyna to investigate the prehistoric economies and irrigation systems. 
* 1977-92: explorations by Khlopin in the Sumbar Valley
Since 1992, excavations have been carried out by a joint project titled “Turkmen-British-Merv Project”. This has yielded historical data on fortifications and a residential complex of the Hellenistic, Parthina and Sassanian period.