Origin of potato

Early domesticated potatoes were found in central Peru which has been dated 8000 to 6000 BC.

It seems that the oldest remains of dried sweet potatoes are from the caves of the Chilca Canyon in Peru, which have been radiocarbon dated to 8000 year old.

It is likely that potato might have domesticated in the lake Titicaca to lake Poopo in region or north Bolivia and may have originated from the wild diploid species Solanum leptophyes some 10,000 to 7,000 year ago.

Archeological evidence also comes from the discovery of actual remains of cultivated sweet potato from Casma valley of Peru dated approximately 1785 and 1120 BC.

The sweet potato was already widely established in the New World by the time European first arrived. 

Sweet potato was first encountered by the Spanish upon their arrival in Hispaniola where it was widely cultivated by the Taino natives.

Four decades later, when Spanish conquered Peru, they found sweet potato widely cultivated along the Pacific coast.

Following its introduction to Spain before 1570, the potato spread throughout Europe. It was first used as animal feed because it was considered dirty and the cause of several human disease, including syphilis.
Origin of potato