you could say that people discovered it in ancient Egypt where they used to preserve bodies using salt. over time people have used that method food to but nowadays people just use freezers and fridges!
in the refrigerator
Salting causes bacteria on meat to dehydrate.
Meat can be preserved by drying, smoking, salting, freezing.
Meat can be preserved without refrigeration by methods such as drying, smoking, salting, or curing. These techniques help remove moisture and inhibit the growth of bacteria, allowing the meat to be stored for longer periods of time.
jerky
Poultry meat must be frozen to keep it preserved, as it is no longer considered suitable for consumption after 10 days in the fridge.
It is usually used to preserve meat products such as ham.
People started smoking meat to preserve it, before the age of refrigerators or ice boxes. The meat is preserved due to dehydration and the antibacterial properties of absorbed smoke.
Generally, jerked meat like deer sticks do not need to be refrigerated. They are preserved with the chemicals that dry the meat.
It preserved the meat and food instead of a refrigerator, which they didn't have.
Beef jerky comes pretty close, in that it's preserved by dessication. Vegetables (and meat for that matter) preserved in oil would also contain little water.
The advantages of smoking turkey meat are the delicious smoked flavour to the meat but in particular that it is preserved for longer than turkey that has not been smoked.