For more than 15 years, two French archaeological expeditions, together with both an Uzbek (MAFOuz-Protohistoire) and a Turkmen (MAFTUR) team, have been leading excavations at two major protohistoric sites of Central Asia: Dzharkutan and Ulug-depe.These two sites are representative of the Oxus Civilisation, or Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex (BMAC). They testify to the development of complex cities, surrounded by fortiication walls, that included living quarters, storage and handicrafts areas, as well as more notable buildings – interpreted as palaces and temples – that relect strong social hierarchies. The inest arts and crafts are associated with this urbanism, including mainly metallurgy, the working of ine stones, and very standardised pottery production. All these elements situate these cities within a larger exchange net work that included the neighbouring civilisations of the Indus Valley and the Iranian Plateau. In this paper, we will relect on these various elements by putting into perspective the results of our recent excavations at Dzharkutan and Ulug-depe.