The Aboriginal shield is made from red mangrove wood, suitable for protection.

Evidence

It is made of red mangrove wood, one of the woods chosen for making Australian shields, because it is tough enough to absorb the impact of a spear or deflect a club or boomerang and is extremely resistant to insects and rot, even when submerged in sea-water. — Neil MacGregor, A History of the World in 100 Objects, 1361

Categorization

• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Neil MacGregor, A History of the World in 100 Objects, 1361