Utilizing the heat required for survival, most foods were dried by hanging over the hot air escape from the central firepit or stove. Commonly, a series of woven racks were hung as high as possible above the fire and were rotated regularly, just like with trays in a dehydrator today. For more easily managed foods like corn, the leaves were used as anchors by peeling them back to expose the food and then tying them together and hanging them in bunches or lines above the living area. It takes about 3 weeks to dry food by this method. The third major way of drying is to slowly bake the food in an airtight earthenware container.
Moisture working in darkness and a vacuum can create botulism which is deadly.
There are lots of variations for drying staples. Lay the strips in a single layer and dry above a heat source which can be the pilot light in an oven. With meat, you MUST provide a covering against the flies, usually cheesecloth. As with any advice for preserving or preparing foods, do your own research on what works best in your area, which foods will be acceptable to you once reconstituted and be very careful.