BORDENTOWN CITY

AS a former king, he entertained on a lavish scale. In exile, he surrounded himself with European artwork. He was oldest brother to the conqueror of Europe, but he far preferred gardening to warfare.

Beginning in 1816, Joseph Bonaparte, the brother of Napoleon, was a New Jersey resident. Once king of Spain and Naples, Bonaparte made his home in exile at Point Breeze, a promontory overlooking the junction of the Crosswicks and Thornton Creeks with the Delaware River.

In the last two years, students from Monmouth University in West Long Branch, led by Richard F. Veit, an associate professor of anthropology, have worked to unearth the foundations of Joseph Bonaparte’s first house, which was destroyed by fire in 1820. In two six-week summer digs this year and last, some 125 students recovered more than 14,000 artifacts, mostly remnants of china, marble and glass.

“Uncovering the foundation cornerstone was hands down the most exciting find we made,” Sean McHugh, a graduate student from Brick, said about finding a portion of the mansion. “It helps orient the whole site.”