A prehistoric settlement dating from the Naviforme period (1700-1400 B.C.), in which the foundations of a circular cabin can still be seen. The main features are two talaiots, the taula enclosure, a hypostyle room, some caves dug out of the ground and the remains of other buildings used as dwellings.
The taula and its enclosure are among the largest and most beautiful on the island. The building dates from the 4th-3rd centuries B.C. and was used for worship up until the 2nd century A.D. It is built on a horseshoe-shaped layout with separate areas inside. The T of the taula consists of two huge blocks of stone, one vertical and the other horizontal, beautifully finished and standing nearly 4 metres tall. Various excavation works carried out on the site have revealed the remains of a fire, wine amphorae plus evidence that kid goats and young lambs were ritually killed and eaten. Other finds include ritual objects such as an altar, a terracotta image of the Punic goddess Tanit, the bronze figure of a bull and bronze hooves belonging to the figure of a horse. These items are on display in the Museum of Menorca and provide the most compelling evidence to support the notion that the taula enclosure was a place of worship. The settlement had its heyday during the time of Punic trading expansion, towards the 1st century B.C.
References:Towering 52 meters above the sea, Bengtskär lighthouse is the tallest one in Scandinavia. The building started in in 1905 after the shipwreck of S/S Helsingfors and was completed in 1906. The lighthouse was designed by architect Florentin Granholm. On December a special petrol lantern, designed and built in Paris, was brought to Bengtskär and installed atop the tower.
German fleet bombarded Bengstkär in the First World War in 1914. Since the Gulf of Finland was heavily mined, it was not until 1919 that the surrounding seas were declared safe for shipping, that the light was lit again.
After the war the military value of Bengtskär increased as part of the defence system of independent Finland. In Second World War (1941) Soviet Union made a suprise attack to island. After a bloody battle, the small Finnish garrison emerged victorious. Intermittent repairs to the facility continued during the post-war period.