The Bronze Age “ash heaps” of the Southern Trans-Urals are still poorly studied archaeological objects. The “ash heap” at the Stepnoye settlement in the Plast district of the Chelyabinsk Region (Russia) became the first site among the Sintashta-type fortified settlements to be studied by a range of interdisciplinary and archaeological methods. Excavations of the “ash heap”, geophysical studies and palynological and soil science analyses were carried out. The interpretation of the complex data obtained allows us to hypothesize that its formation is associated with the seasonal economic and ritual activities of the ancient population, during which a number of production and ritual practices were carried out beyond the boundaries of the settlement and necropolis. The “ash heap” territory, having a multifunctional purpose, could serve as a rural farmstead during both warm and cold seasons. Such a function is not provided for in fortified settlements. Hypotheses considering the “ash heaps” as products of combustion, landfills of household waste, stable manure storage sites, or ritual places are not supported by the available data.