Swift, a dedicated gamma-ray burst (GRB) satellite with ultrarapid slewing capability, and a suite of ground-based (ESO) telescopes have recently achieved a major breakthrough: detecting the first afterglows of short-duration GRBs. The faintness of these afterglows and the diversity of old and young host galaxies lend support to the emerging 'standard model', in which they are created during the merging of two compact objects. However, the afterglow light-curve properties and possible high-redshift origin of some short bursts suggests that more than one progenitor type may be involved.